Rugby Union

Sedgley Tigers 7 Bedford Blues 22

STRUGGLING Sedgley were left with a dose of the Blues after slipping to a third defeat at the hands of the Bedford.

It took just two minutes for the Tigers to realise their luck was not in, as Blues' fly-half Jon Elrick launched a kick over the top towards the home posts.

Park full-back Chris Hall looked to have it covered until the ball cannoned off a post straight into Elrick's arms and he gratefully regathered before touching down between the posts, thus making his conversion a straight forward one to give his side a 7-0 lead within 120 seconds.

The Blues looked determined and focused throughout, while Sedgley struggled to get their attacking game going in the face of Bedford's dominance.

On eight minutes a driving maul from a five-metre lineout ended with lock Jon Phillips grounding the ball for try number two, and the Blues extended their lead to 12 points.

A series of penalties and lineout wins then took the Tigers to within 10 metres of the Bedford line, where Luther Burrell, Glen Townson and Jon Skurr drove repeatedly into contact and were rewarded with a five-metre scrum.

With possession won, Phil Jones dived for the posts and looked like scoring a try only to be stopped illegally right under referee Chris Sharp's nose.

He duly awarded a penalty try which Jones converted to close the gap to just five points at half-time.

The Tigers began the second half strongly until Bedford forced them on to the back foot once more and Pritchard stroked a penalty over to extend the Blues' lead to 15-7 on 52 minutes.

Five minutes later Townson was yellow-carded, handing the Blues the man advantage, although it was the Tigers who were given the next opportunity to score, but Jones' 40-metre penalty kick attempt went well wide.

Ironically, it was not until Townson re-entered the fray that Bedford tied the game up. They spun the ball out from a scrum to inside centre Tom Youngs and his 25-metre canter to the Tigers' line, breaking three tackles in the process, was rewarded with a try on 72 minutes. Pritchard added the extras.

Tigers travel down to face fifth-placed Cornish Pirates on Sunday.