Bedford Athletic enjoy a routine win over strugglers

Their opponents, who were sitting in the bottom two ahead of the game, were no match for the visitors and on a better day weatherwise, the scoreline undoubtedly would have been greater.

Athletic were in command from the start and played to the conditions, as early pressure was guaranteed by half backs Zac Tester and Beau Stenson repeatedly pinning the hosts deep inside their half with some astute tactical kicking.

This meant the visitors could set up several attacking lineout mauls and, with second row Callum Ross at the heart of these, it allowed hooker Charlie Darlow to crash over for the opening try in the fifth minute, his 98th for the club.

The Ath’s pack were in control of the close exchanges and therefore kept the visitors on the front foot, as a well-placed kick through the home defence allowed winger Will Edmunds to run onto the ball and score.

Although Bedford only led 10-0 for much of the first half, they were never in danger of conceding and added a third try before the break.

Winger Edmunds was again at the heart of the move, gathering his own well-executed chip over the defender to score in the corner, making the interval score 15-0.

With the weather conditions continuing to have a significant effect on the game, much of the play revolved around the forward battle with the visitors’ pack in the ascendancy.

This laid the platform for the fourth and bonus point try with Ryley Longmuir in close attendance for a score that was converted by fly-half Beau Stenson for a 22-0 lead.

Old Coventrians did have a brief respite when an error allowed them to capitalise on a kick ahead as an alert back-line ensured that Luke Ireland was able to cross for their only score of the game on 50 minutes, converted by Jason Matthews.

The remaining half an hour did not offer any further scoring chances to the home side, instead it was Bedford Athletic who rounded off the game with two more tries.

The first was touched down by full back Josh Foster and converted by Stenson, while with seven minutes to go, and in a first for the club, replacement scrum half Tana Stenson scored with his brother Beau converting.

The bonus point win keeps Ath in the top four places after five rounds of matches, as the first block of games will conclude this Saturday when Hinckley IIs are the visitors to Putnoe Wood with a 3pm kick-off.