Knights produce proud battling display at Bedford

An impressive second half display from the Knights was just not enough to claim victory at Goldington Road.

Four tries after the interval rewarded Doncaster with two bonus points, despite the 29-28 defeat and showed the battling spirit of the Knights in an remarkable second half performance.

It was the home side that put the first points on the board through Lewis-Robling, as an overload down the left came to fruition. Bedford scored their second try of the afternoon on 10 minutes, after a scrum near the Doncaster 10m line followed by two quick offloads and a impressive pass out wide allowed a further overload and the home side to dot down in the same corner.

The Knights kept battling and had opportunities of their own, only for Bedford to make several strong tackles. The Blues extended their lead three minutes before half time, when Richard Lane caught a kick just metres from the Doncaster try line and give the home side a 17-0 advantage at half-time.

Doncaster came out early ready for the second half and increased their intensity from the whistle. After just two minutes of the restart, William Ryan found a gap five metres from the Bedford try line, after the Knights had the home side pinned in their own half. Dougie Flockhart converted to further slim the score line down.

However, Bedford weren’t ready to give up their lead and began to battle back. Their pressure was rewarded and after a lengthy discussion between the referee and the touch judge to whether Mat Clark had successfully tackled Dean Adamson into touch as the fly-half dotted down. Unfortunately for the Knights it was given.

On 60 minutes though a dominant display from Doncaster took the pitch.

Firstly Steve McColl dotted down, after a superb break from Dave Nelson, the hooker offloaded to McColl. The Scotsman passed to Tom James as the two players entered the Bedford 22, the latter then returned the favour as he was brought down with the full-back reducing the score to 24-14 after another Flockhart conversion.

Just five minutes later the balance of the match truly swung when Josh Tyrell scored his third try of the season and the Knights third of the afternoon. The forward stretched out under a tackle and Flockhart added the extras.

With the score line at 24-21, the best chance of the afternoon to take the lead came to former Bedford Blues player James. Tyrell made a great break, offloaded to James, who had two Knights to his right on the overload, but choose to side step an on-rushing Bedford player, before being tackled.

A number of injury breaks meant that even when Bedford scored their fourth try of the afternoon in the 79 minute the match was not over.

Nick Civetta reduced the home side’s lead to a single point, after another conversion from Flockhart. The lock found himself in acres of space to dot down from inside the Bedford 22 in the 87th minute.

The Knights continue to battle but were unlucky in their final efforts, despite an unbelievable attacking second half display.

Match Statistics

Knights XV: 15. McColl 14. Flockhart 13. Hayes 12. Clark 11. Wilson 10. Foley (60′ Morath) 9. James (80′ Seniloli) 1. Hislop (62′ List) 2. Hunter (53′ Nelson) 3. Quigley (53′ Mullen) 4. Civetta 5. Challinor 6. Ryan 7. Hills 8. Tyrell (80′ Booth)

Replacements: 16. Nelson 17. List 18. Mullen 19. Eames 20. Booth 21. Seniloli 22. Morath

Tries: Ryan, McColl, Tyrell, Civetta Conversions: Flockhart 4

Bedford Blues XV: 15. Lane 14. Coulson (46′ Strachan) 13. Elliott 12. Lewis-Robling 11. Adamson (78′ Ellis(80’Adamson) 10. Hooley 9. Dickson (21’Lennon) 1.McCarthy 2. Clare (59′ Fields) 3. Cooper (59′ Penny) 4. Taylor (59′ Carrick-Smith) 5. Flanagan 6. Curry 7. Buggea (65′ Rae) 8. Williams

Replacements: 16. Fields 17. Ellis 18. Carrick-Smith 19. Penny 20. Rae 21. Lennon 22. Strachan

Tries: Robling, Adamson, Lane, Adamson, McCarthy Conversions: Hooley 2