Bees show character and take the spoils in a tight game

The Bees put behind them a difficult week off the pitch with a characterful performance on it, securing a hard fought win away at Lichfield and with it four important league points.

With a number of fixture postponements in National League 3 Midlands, Lichfield did well to get their pitch fit to host this game between two sides in the bottom half of the table.

It was the home side that dominated the first quarter of the game, scoring an early try just three minutes in – imposing lock forward Matt Corley driven over the line by his forward colleagues from an attacking line out. Fly half Luke Massey added the conversion to give Lichfield a 7-0 lead.

The Bees scrum – which was impressively solid all game – earned a penalty four minutes later and allowed Mitch McGahan to get the visitors on the scoreboard. However, Lichfield continued to dominate possession and position, whilst their line speed in defence was disrupting what little ball the visitors had.

Indeed it was a loss in possession at the breakdown which led to Lichfield’s second try on the 17-minute mark; this allowed the ball to be spun along their backline and centre Paul Maxell-Keys chipped through and beat Martin Hooker in the chase to the touch down, much to the delight of the home support. With Massey again successful with the extras, Lichfield were deservedly ahead 14-3.

Perhaps a little over-eager in the early stages, the Bees started to show greater patience in possession and, in the process, assert themselves more up front. This approach was rewarded by a try for No.8 Matt Tibbatts from a driving maul following an attacking line out. McGahan – who wasn’t to have his finest afternoon from the kicking tee - put the conversion wide.

The rest of the first half was mostly all Bees, but the visitors were unavailable to further capitalise on their possession. The scoreline was therefore still 14-8 when referee Dave Huson blew the half time whistle.

With ex Gloucester duo Paul Williams and Dave Spencer (aka ‘Willy and Spanner’) stepping into the breach as the Bees’ interim coaching team, no doubt the half time team talk majored on a more ‘stick it up your jumper’ orientated approach in the second half. If that was the case, it certainly was effective, as Chris Goddard scored two tries in the second period from driving mauls, the second a carbon copy of the first.

The skipper's first try, 12 minutes into the second period, came from an attacking line out created after some aggressive defence by Bees’ right wing Alex O’Malley.

However, it wasn’t to be all hunky dory for the Bees and Lichfield showed that their boys were still swinging, restoring their lead to 19-13 nine minutes later – replacement winger Chris Milner finishing off in the corner after a period of sustained pressure on the Bees’ line.

Given the recent history of coming out second best in tight games, it was particularly pleasing from a travelling supporters’ point of view that the men in yellow jersey’s didn’t let their heads drop. Instead they continued to opt for a patient approach that was to lead to the second Goddard try in the 63rd minute.

And when McGahan kicked a penalty 12 minutes later to give the visitors an important four-point margin at 19-23, it seemed that the men from Portway were home and dry. Yet, poor decision-making (opting for a long range penalty kick rather than kicking down the line) and poor execution (McGahan missing a kick to touch) combined to keep the door ajar for the home side.

Had Lichfield not coughed up the ball on their opposition’s line in the last play of the game, all the good work of the afternoon could have easily been undone. Still, in the context of league position and backroom changes, this was an important win that the Bees will be looking to further build upon when they entertain Longton at Portway next (drive in) Saturday (23rd January, KO 2.15pm)

Teams

Birmingham & Solihull:- Josh Palmer, Alex O’Malley, Arron Wilson, Jimmy Oliver, Nyle Beckett, Mitchell McGahan (C,2P), Martin Hooker, Matt Tibbatts (T), Ashley Scriven, Darren Forder, Matt Spink, Chris Goddard (2T) ©, Pete Koziot, Zane Raimondi, Dan Toth. Replacements –Kurtis Payne, Chris Fensome and Billy Castle.

Referee – Dave Huson