Bedford Ath’s unbeaten run this season came to a shuddering halt as they comfortably lost 41-17 at Market Harborough on Saturday (11 October).
A side that showed eight changes from the team that won at home to Kettering last week did not gel until later in the match by which time it was too late to impact the result.
The first half was particularly difficult viewing for Bedford Athletic supporters.
Market Harborough were on the scoreboard early with a try for flanker, Tom Herdman in the 7th minute, converted by Monty Maule.
Matters were not helped with the returning Jake Foster leaving the pitch with an injury in the 17th minute, and his replacement Nick Thomas seeing a yellow carded in the 23rd .
With a player advantage this promptly opened the scoring opportunities for the home side and they took full advantage with a try for scrum half Josh Purnell on 24 minutes, converted by Maule.
Before the sin bin period was over, Maule kicked a further penalty for a 17-0 lead and the advantage was hammered home with a try for winger William Marriott, which Maule again converted.
It was a half in which Bedford Athletic were second best in all aspects of the game, struggling at the set piece, losing the contact battle and being continually forced on the defensive.
They trailed 24-0 at half time.
Changes at half time saw Dan Wiggins brought to scrum half and Lucas Nisbett-Hadaway moved to the centres, with Josh Foster at full back.
There was no immediate improvement as Market Harborough picked up their bonus point try straight after the restart through outside centre Harry Durham.
But there was hope for Bedford Athletic, when debutant wing Sachtib Weerawardhana kicked ahead and won a 40-metre race for the touchdown and the side’s opening try on 45 minutes.
Weerawardhana was a thorn in the side of the hosts all afternoon but he and his side could not prevent the hosts fifth try on 48 minutes from second row Jack Burrows, converted by Maule.
This settled the game as a contest, but Bedford Athletic were far more cohesive and purposeful in the second period. Lewis Sharp set the tone with an abrasive contribution in the forwards, and Wiggins and Nisbett-Hadaway marshalled the
backs to good effect.
With Market Harborough suffering two sin-bins in close proximity to each other, the visitors scored two tries through Josh Foster and Josh Cassell as the backs capitalised on the forwards effort.
There was a chance of a bonus point try before the end of the game, but a sin-binning for hooker Chris Elliott did not help matters and although Harborough’s Herdman was carded at the same time, it was Market Harborough who capitalised on sloppy play by the visitors.
They scored the the game’s final try on the stroke of full time, scrum half Josh Purnell scoring an unconverted try.
Despite the defeat, Bedford Athletic remain top of the Regional Two Midlands East table by a point from Market Harborough and Northampton Old Scouts with last seasons 3rd and 2nd placed teams already the closest challengers to the current league leaders.
Bedford Athletic host Broadstreet this Saturday with a 3pm kick off.
Words by Jeremy Tyrrell
