End of the road after Broadstreet defeat for Bedford Athletic

The result in what eventually was a close contest eliminated them from the play-offs and brought the 2025-26 season to an end.

Athletic started the match with plenty of energy but were unfortunately lacking in accuracy.

They lost their first two lineouts and the passing was not to hand and as a result they struggled to build momentum.

Therefore it was Broadstreet who scored first when a speculative kick ahead was fielded comfortably by the home full back.

He initiated a counter attack that the visiting defence failed to cover, allowing centre Robert Knox to streak away down the right wing for the opening try, full back Will Morgan converting.

When Knox was sin-binned for a high tackle it allowed the visitors an opening back into the game. They kicked a penalty to the corner and a series of further attacks resulted in further penalties. Eventually the ball came wide to the left wing for Nathan Litchfield to cross for Athletics’ opening try, which on a breezy day went unconverted.

Restored to full strength, Broadstreet reapplied their suffocating defensive pressure, and when the visitors kicked a clearance out on the full, they had an attacking lineout from which they broke through the Athletic line, the try being finished off by replacement back row forward Callum Hopkin, Morgan converting.

Again Athletic looked to go forward from the restart, but were lacking precision in their structure, and when they were stripped of the ball in the tackle, the counter attack went the length of the field for a second try of the day to Robert Knox.

Morgan converted again for a 21-5 lead.

Two minutes later his team had a fourth try when the Athletic full back failed to deal with a long clearing kick from Morgan, was tackled and turned over, and this directly led to a try finished this time by second row forward Liam O’Brien.

When Charlie Reed was sin-binned for Bedford with four minutes of the half to play it left them with a serious defensive effort to remain in the game up to half-time. This they did to trail 26-5 at the break.

Athletic took the initiative after the break, but still initially struggled to make a breakthrough. Although they increasingly built pressure close to the home side’s line, they were frustrated by knock-ons, a forward pass and the intensity of the Broadstreet defence.

Following a sin-binning for home No.8 Adam Peters following a series of penalty offences, several quick flat passes did finally break that defence and enabled Litchfield to go through for his second try of the day on 49 minutes.

Immediately Broadstreet returned to the Athletic half and kicked a penalty for a 29-10 lead.

Using the wind Athletic were able to quickly regain territory and a 50:22 kick went deep into the Broadstreet 22 giving Bedford an attacking lineout.

From that they were able to stretch the home defence and send right winger Oscar Bickers over for a third try on the hour mark.

Leo Mortimer this time converted.

Athletic continued to keep the pressure on and another deep kick forced a hashed clearance from the home side and another attacking lineout.

Again some direct running helped suck in and then stretch the home defence and, although Lucas Nisbett-Hadaway originally had a try ruled out, Bickers was again on hand to finish off a move from the next penalty to cut the deficit to 29-22.

The final 10 minutes saw Broadstreet try to reimpose themselves on the game but there were still two clear cut chances to the visiting side.

The first saw an unlucky bounce on a deep Charlie Reed kick see the ball go dead instead of into touch and the second was a length of the field move on the final play where Bedford ran from their own half to their hosts' try line, but a final crossfield kick when an overlap was available went into touch and the chance of an equalising try was gone.

Despite the defeat, it was overall a good performance on which to end the season, but once again highlighted issues of accuracy and cohesion under pressure that Bedford Athletic need to address to challenge the top of the table sides next season.