Bedford Athletic secured a long-awaited first victory of the season, beating Hertford 29-25 at Putnoe Woods on Saturday afternoon in Regional South East One.
In a match in which they outscored their opponents by five tries to four, they nearly squandered a 29-13 lead but in the end held on for their first win of the season.
An error strewn start to the match saw Bedford Athletic with the first opportunity for a score. Fly half Josh Foster drilled a penalty to within five metres of the opposition try line and from the lineout catch and drive, Charlie Darlow touched down for the score.
The first 20 minutes were a fractious affair with multiple penalties and very little pattern to the game. Hertford had two
penalty kicks at goal, the first of which they missed with the second converted by Louis Kendrick.
In return, Bedford Athletic missed two penalty kicks to touch which could have given them field position. The first quarter ended with yellow cards for Lewis Sharp of the home side and Joseph Tracy of Hertford for fighting.
Gradually, it was Bedford Athletic who gained the upper hand and after penetrating runs by centres Will Tinley and Harry Sawford-Smith, they dented the visiting defence sufficiently to open up space on the left wing for Toby Hunt to crash over in the 28th minute.
Hertford’s response was swift as they found gaps in the home defence for back row Alex Kay to run through and score, making the score 10-8 on the half hour mark.
Bedford Athletic then won a penalty in the Hertford half, opted for a scrum, and won a free kick from which captain Nick Thomas charged deep into the Hertford defence.
Next, it was prop Ryan Taylor who drove hard for the line and when he was stopped five metres short eventually the ball was recycled for full back Oli Petrides to cross for the try converted by Josh Foster.
Sin bins break game up
Another length of the field break by Tinley should have resulted in a further score.
Instead the move was halted illegally by Hertford second row James Thacker who earned a yellow card but when the home side chose another scrum they conceded a penalty and Hertford survived.
Bedford Athletic were able to make the man advantage tell at the start of the second half.
Oli Petrides arrowed a 50:22 kick into the visiting half and from the lineout Bedford Athletic ran a set move that saw Harry Sawford-Smith crash through the defence for a try, converted by Foster for a 24-8 lead.
Restored to fifteen men, Hertford came straight back into the game, winning a penalty of their own, kicking to the line and then rumbling over from the lineout catch and drive for an unconverted try.
Minutes later, Bedford Athletic were on the attack again with scrum half Stephen Woodhead speeding down the right wing and being illegally shoved into touch as he kicked ahead.
Full back Kendrick was sin binned and the home side stayed on the attack.
Their first try scoring attempt was ruled out for a foot in touch but Josh Dunne wrestled the ball off the Hertford pack at the resulting maul from the defensive lineout to touch down for the try and a 29-13 lead.
Seemingly in charge of the game Bedford Athletic then somehow managed to lose the initiative.
This was mainly as a result of a rather aimless kicking game that ceded possession to Hertford, allowing them to run at pace through the broken field and put the home defence under pressure.
Two tries came the visitors way as a result, the second following a yellow card for second row Connor Rogers following a ruck
offence.
Suddenly with ten minutes to play the home team were defending a narrow 29-25 lead, made harder when Sawford-Smith was yellow carded for a high tackle.
Bedford Athletic did manage to turn defence into attack but with Hertford regaining possession in their own 22 they launched a final length of the field attack into the home side’s half.
A desperate cover tackle by Woodhead halted the breakaway and there was sufficient cover defence to force a knock on and halt the Hertford charge.
From the scrum Bedford Athletic won a penalty and with it the match, and they remain in ninth.
There is a break from league action this coming Saturday with Bedford Athletic starting the defence of the Bedfordshire Cup at home to Stockwood Park with a 3pm kick off.
Words by Jeremy Tyrrell
