Bedford 53 Birmingham & Solihull 25: Match analysis
Oct 12 2009 by Barry Kinghorn, Birmingham Post
BEDFORD...53
BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL...25
Birmingham and Solihull may be in crisis off the pitch and still looking for their first win of the season on it but player coach Russell Earnshaw said he we proud off his makeshift team after their loss to Bedford.
The Bees went down 53-25 in an exciting game that featured 11 tries and a commitment to running rugby from both sides. Too often the Bees were let down by handling errors or choosing the wrong option when in promising positions.
“It is small margins, particularly in the last five minutes of each half was where we missed tackles and turned the ball over,” said Earnshaw, his side conceding two tries at the end of each half to give Bedford’s score a boost. “I’m proud of the boys, it is strange because they have scored 50 points but I’m quite happy.”
Earnshaw said he thought Simon Hunt, Chris Brightwell and Matt Long had all been outstanding in setting an example for the less experienced players that have been promoted following the player exodus at the club.
Hunt’s kicking had kept Bees in the match early on when the home side were threatening to run away with the game by scoring two tries in the opening quarter of an hour.
He then became the first player to breech the Bedford tryline this season after some concerted pressure from Birmingham and Solihull and converted his own try.
Despite trailing 32-13 at the break Birmingham and Solihull came out fighting in the second half and after some committed defending held off early Bedford attacks before mounting some of their own. Rod Petty, Cameron Mitchell and Hunt all made breaks but Birmingham and Solihull persistently knocked on when they found themselves in good positions before Rob Connolly went over from close range.
When Chris Brightwell broke on the 22-metere line in the 71st minute and raced in under the posts it raised the prospect of an unlikely comeback.
However, that prospect was snuffed out just moments later as Bedford’s right-wing Duncan Taylor went in at the corner and Canadian international James Pritchard converted. Ian Davey was the Bees tormentor-in-chief on Saturday, the speedy left-wing going over for four tries and only being denied a fifth by an illegal tackle. Bedford full-back Luke Fielden scored twice in the first half with lock Alex Rae adding another.
BEDFORD: Fielden (Pritchard, 45), Taylor, Roberts, Vass, Davey, Davies, Veenendaal (Dorrian, 64), Walsh, Locke, Boulton, Harlock, Rae, Harding (Goodman, 10), Lewitt, Tupai. Replacements: Richmond, Lilley, Spencer, Knight
BEES: Culpin, Hunt, Tomlinson (McLean), Mitchell, Akinluyi, Petty, Williamson (Brown, 62), Long, Reece (Gardner, 78), Davis (Dowding, 62), Davidson, Ault (Halavatau, 50), Brightwell, Connolly, Earnshaw (Clayton, 21). Replacements: Dowding, Martin.
