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Match preview – Broadstreet v Bees

Match preview – Broadstreet v Bees

Richard Smith17 Dec 2014 - 10:55
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Bees sent to Coventry for the last game of 2014.

The Bees make the short trip to Coventry on Saturday 20th December where they face local National League North 2 rivals, Broadstreet (KO 2.15pm).

The Bees reached the halfway point of their 2014/15 campaign last weekend with a 12-22 victory up at Hull RUFC – a win that took their points tally to 30 for the season and put them into 10th position in the table, with five wins, a draw and eight losses to date.

One of those losses was against their opponents this Saturday, where in the second game of the season the Bees conceded points in the last minute of the game to lose at home to Broadstreet. The defeat in mid September was particularly disappointing, given that Birmingham & Solihull had been 36-10 to the good in the game with 20 minutes to go.

Then, Bees’ fly half Adam Canning gave a flawless kicking performance in the first period, landing four penalties and two conversions to account for 17 of the home side’s points, with a Dai Evan’s try making up the balance. An unconverted try by Evan’s opposite wing Jeff Gregson meant that the men from Portway went into the break 22-5 ahead.

Although Canning’s 100% record was spoiled by an early second half miss, he was in the thick of the action again just minutes later when he charged down a clearance kick - Bee’s No.8 Steve Leach was then on hand to dot the ball down over the line. Another successful conversion further extended the lead to 29-5.

The men from Coventry responded with a try from half back Ben Thatcher after 12 minutes, but a self converted Canning try after an excellent forward drive seemingly had the game wrapped up with 20 minutes to go.

Cue the Broadstreet comeback, which saw the visitors score four tries – each one converted by centre Andy Murray, including the last one in the final minute of the game - to snatch a highly unlikely, but nonetheless deserved, victory for the then NLN2 newcomers.

The Bees will be keen this Saturday to avoid another last 20 minute melt down, although there were still signs of this unwelcome phenomena in their psyche last week up at Hull, where they led 0-22 with twenty minutes to go, but conceded two late tries to allow their hosts to narrow the gap to 12-22.

For their part, Broadstreet come into this weekend’s game on the back of a high scoring 33-52 home defeat against Ampthill, which was their first loss in five matches. Currently sitting three places below the Bees in the league on 29 points, the Coventry side have won six games so far this season – with away victories at Portway, Leicester Lions, Stockport and Hull, and two home wins against Stourbridge and Otley.

In, what is, the last game for both clubs in 2014, Saturday’s game promises to be a keenly contested local derby with important league points and bragging rights at stake.

A Bees’ supporters bus will be making the trip to the Ivor Preece Field in Binley Woods on Saturday, with the game kicking off at 2.15pm.

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