Old Bedians 15 - 25 Tarleton

Old Bedians came off second best in a game they had targeted, hoping to record their second league victory of the season. A depleted team, suffering from the loss of six first team regulars due to injury and the usual unavailability, started tentatively against their younger opponents but still achieved parity early on. Bedes looked to be on top in both set-pieces and also to have the upper hand in the backs yet still managed to concede the first try of the game which was the result of a missed one-on-one tackle, the extras were also added, 0-7. Bedes responded well and from a scrum on Tarleton's 22 Stand-Off Gaz Prytherch attacked the blindside and fed winger Rick Snape who beat his marker well to score in the corner. Mike Gallaher's conversion attempt drifted narrowly wide, 5-7. Bedians were then harshly reduced to 14 men after Chris Hetherington received a yellow card for his first offence of the game, adjudged to have slowed down Tarleton's attack by holding on to the tackled player. The penalty was converted well, 5-10. Bedes finished the half in the acendancy and were rewarded when Vince Betty's barnstorming break and well-timed offload gave scrum-half Mark Howard the opportunity to race to the corner for a deserved touchdown. The touchline conversion missed, the half-time score was 10-10.
The home team remained on the front foot at the start of the second peeriod and a typical piece of opportunism and foot speed from Gallagher saw them take the lead. Somehow managing to keep the rolling ball in play, he fly-hacked twice before picking the ball up and racing into Tarleton's 22, for once 'Aussie' was caught by a defender but he managed to offload to the free-scoring Snape who bagged his 2nd try of the day. Prytherch missed the less than difficult conversion to leave the score at 15-10 to Bedians. The remaining 25 minutes were a huge disappointment for all who care about the Didsbury-based club, slack tackling, a poor scrummage, an ineffective line-out, poor fitness levels and most worryingly what appeared to be a lack of will to win, led to Tarleton scoring two more tries (one converted) and a penalty to win the game 25-15.
The Old Bedians players and officials must now take a long, hard look at themselves and decide what they want from this season and how much time and effort they are willing to commit to the cause. The next win is vital and all efforts must now turn to next week's tough away fixture at Birchfield, where an increase in the amount of passion on show is the minimum requirement.