Bedford Athletic returned to winning ways in RFU Regional East Midlands Division Two with a 36-30 victory at Old Coventrians on Saturday.
Following two defeats in a row, the team inflicted the first home defeat of the season on their hosts in a match they largely controlled throughout.
A couple of further returnees bolstered the Ath, but their early rhythm was upset when a dropped ball allowed the home team to break for their first try of the day, as outside centre Ollie Hurst touched down for the first score in the fifth minute, converted by Mohan Senavirathne.
Bedford Athletic were undaunted and stuck to their structure; the greater fluidity in their game allowing them to create openings and chances.
Their first try came on 13 minutes with the tireless Rob Watkins popping up at the end of a move that allowed fly half Louis Haley to slot the conversion to level matters at 7-7.
The all round game of the visiting side was emphasized in the next two scores on 19 and 23 minutes which both went to front row forwards, Charles Darlow showing his strength and power for the second score and an increasingly confident Elijah Oladeji scoring the third.
This stretched the lead to 17-7 and the hosts could only manage a penalty in response slotted by Senavirathne.
Bedford Athletic capped off a robust first half performance by securing the bonus point try before half time, Josh Cassell scoring his 145th try for the club to leave the team 22-10 ahead at the break.
The home side rallied after the break and were the first to score in the second half with number eight, Elliott Sheepy crashing over for the try.
They made it two in as many minutes when winger, Josh James broke away for a score.
On a windy and difficult day for kickers, neither try was converted and Bedford Athletic retained the lead at 22-20.
Notably, the visitors retained their composure and importantly scored next through back row Jake Foster; Haley this time kicking the conversion and Foster was again on hand on the hour mark with Haley’s conversion stretching the side out to a commanding lead of 36-20.
The final quarter of an hour did not go well for the visiting side.
Losing concentration and composure, they started to let the home side back into the game as first errors, and then ill discipline lead to penalties which started to frustrate their cause.
This was summed up by a sin-bin for Ryan Taylor, and then two late tries threatened to upset everything with both home centres George Curtis and Ollie Hurst running in scores, neither of which were converted.
A game that the visitors had been totally in command of was in danger of slipping away but fortunately the full time whistle preserved their victory.
The win keeps the side in third place and three points behind league leaders Northampton Old Scouts, who are the next visitors to Putnoe Woods in two weeks’ time.
Words by Jeremy Tyrrell
