News
Match Report v Coventry
When a team scores with the last passage of play, there will evidently be a winner and a loser and it was sadly Bedford Blues who were on the wrong side of the dramatic finale as they were edged out 10-9 against Coventry in the season opener.
So often over the years have Bedford been the ones to win things at the death; but frustratingly it was a feeling of heartbreak on this occasion as Tony Fenner’s successful penalty gave the home side a four point start to the campaign; Bedford took home one.
It was a tale of a missed opportunity at Butts Park Arena as Bedford showed glimpses of what they could do this season; they had more visits into the opposition 22 and more creative spark going forward, but couldn’t capitalise when they needed to and ultimately paid the price.
In a first half which felt like Coventry barely got out of their own half, Bedford only turned that possession and territory into a 3-0 half-time lead thanks to a pinpoint penalty from Tommy Mathews just before the interval.
Joe Wrafter was held up following a rampaging run, then Connor Tupai and Elijah Niko both knocked it on towards the line as Bedford couldn’t get past a dogged Coventry defence and get a five or seven-pointer.
The promising backs partnership between Reuben Bird-Tulloch, Pat Tapley and Rich Lane was again on display but the offloads just weren’t quite timed to perfection at various points after clinical line breaks and bursts in the clear.
A yellow card at the end of the first half for Tupai made things trickier but Blues started the second 40 on the front foot again and extended the lead to 6-0 through the ever reliable boot of Mathews.
Discipline was a concern in and around the breakdown and Lewis Bean was harshly given ten minutes in the sin bin following his first offence, punished for a succession of penalties by the team rather than his own misdemeanours.
Coventry made the numbers game count when hooker Nic Dolly bundled over from a driving maul; Kieran Wilkinson added the extras to put the hosts in-front for the first time in the game.
Mistakes were aplenty across the field throughout, particularly handling and at scrum time; that disrupted the flow of proceedings and didn’t particularly allow either team a good period of possession in the second half.
It’s looked like Blues had done enough to win the game when former Coventry legend Will Maisey slotted home a difficult three points with just a minute to play, but it wasn’t to be as the home side won it late.
After a succession of penalties, Away Man of the Match Will Carrick Smith was shown a yellow card and that afforded Coventry the momentum they needed to get another shot at goal in an advantageous position and Fenner did the rest.
Attention straight onto Hartpury next weekend. Buy your Live Stream Season Tickets for all five home Goldington Road matches here.
Teams
BEDFORD BLUES
15. Rich Lane (CC), 14. Pat Tapley, 13. Elijah Niko, 12. Reuben Bird-Tulloch, 11. Ryan Olowofela (54'), 10. Tommy Mathews (57'), 9. Connor Tupai (54'); 1. Joe Wrafter (51'), 2. James Fish (66'), 3. Corrie Barrett (19'), 4. Lewis Bean, 5. Will Carrick Smith (CC), 6. Joe Atkinson (49'), 7. Ollie Newman, 8. Tui Uru (66')
Replacements
16. Jacob Fields (66'), 17. Sean McCarthy (51'), 18. Ed Prowse (19'), 19. Manny Iyogun (66'), 20. Oli Robinson (49'), 21. James Lennon (54'), 22. Will Maisey (57'), 23. Matt Worley (54')
COVENTRY
15. Louis Brown, 14. Rob Stevenson, 13. Andy Forsyth, 12. Will Owen, 11. Rob Knox (80'), 10. Kieran Wilkinson (65'), 9. Joe Snow (53'); 1. Toby Trinder (53'), 2. Nic Dolly, 3. James Harper (53'), 4. Nile Dacres (71'), 5. Adam Peters (6'), 6. Sam Lewis, 7. Ben Nutley, 8. Ryan Burrows (C)
Replacements:
16. Suva Ma'asi, 17. Luc Jeannot (53'), 18. Phil Boulton (53'), 19. Alex Woolford (6'), 20. Cameron Jordan (71'), 21. Pete White (53'), 22. Tony Fenner (65'), 23. Louis James (80')
