Bedford Athletic suffered a narrow 40-38 defeat at home to Hinckley 2nd XI on Saturday (31 October).

It was a case of what might have been for the Ath, who rallied in parts, particularly from a 26-5 half time deficit but never consistently enough to take control of the game.

Hinckley were on the attack from the first minute, and with less than three minutes on the clock they had already been held up over the try line.

Their first try soon arrived, as some direct running allowed the visitors to breach the midfield defence allowing back row forward Niall Duffy to score.

Bedford Athletic responded with a series of scrums in the Hinckley 22; an area of the game where they soon gained the upper hand.

From one of these, scrum half, Tana Stenson broke down the blindside to score in the corner and level the match at five points apiece.

In what quickly became a physically intense encounter, it was the visitors who were the more adept at finding space, as too often the home defence found itself split and tackles missed, allowing Hinckley to gain easy territory.

One such break from inside their own half saw them through for a second try; this time scored by scrum half Adam Riley and converted by fly half Samson Lawson.

Struggling to gain territory, Bedford Athletic were hindered by a kicking game where the ball went too far without creating pressure, and ended up allowing the Hinckley backs time and space from which to attack.

The kicking struggles were exemplified five minutes before half-time when a clearance kick from a scrum was charged down, allowing second row Jordan Sephton to score.

Lawson made it 19-5.

Needing to get through to half time to steady the ship and find some rhythm, Bedford Athletic instead conceded the bonus point try.

With penalties mounting in their favour, Hinckley tried but failed to launch several moves from attacking lineouts.

Success eventually came in the middle of the park as a series of drives saw prop forward, Cameron Aitchison score by the posts; Lawson’s conversion giving Hinckley a 26-5 half time lead.

Bedford Athletic showed what they were capable of immediately from the second half kick off.

Replacement, Ryszard Hill won a turnover and from the line out, play was moved under the visitors’ posts before prop Lewis Ager sniped through for a try.

Fly half, Beau Stenson converted.

Within five minutes, scrum half Tana Stenson had made distance again running down the blindside of a scrum, and this time it was hooker Charlie Darlow who was on hand to finish the move off with a try – his 99th for the club.

And ten minutes after the restart, the home side were level when from another scrum; a set move saw Steve Smith make a break and as the backs looped round it was full back Josh Foster who finished the try.

Foster converted the try himself as Stenson was suffering from a dead leg.

At 26-26, Bedford Athletic now had the momentum and the upper hand and took the lead when captain Steve Smith broke through at pace to score to the right of the posts.

Crucially, a still suffering Stenson missed the conversion and Bedford Athletic led 31-26.

Hinckley were not out of the match, and they continued to exert direct pressure on the home side with phase after phase of play taking them closer to the home side’s line.

The pressure told on 69 minutes as Duffy once again scored from close range; replacement Will Speirs kicking the conversion.

Bedford Athletic came back and from a lineout another set move saw Steve Smith break the line for his second try of the day under the posts which with Stenson’s conversion gave Bedford Athletic a 38-33 lead going into the final five minutes.

However, Hinckley continued to do the simple things well and regained possession, driving play close to the Bedford Athletic line.

Under pressure and conceding penalties, eventually the home side could not find a way to repel scrum half Riley who twisted and turned his way out of the tackle and over the line for the winning try, with Speirs’ conversion confirming the victory.

Bedford Athletic take a break from league action next week, and will once again be on their travels in two weeks’ time away to Old Saltleians in the shadow of Birmingham airport.