The Bees put in an excellent performance to record a well deserved 35-21 win against Huddersfield at Portway on Saturday, securing five vital points in their relegation tussle.

The win – only the second on home soil for the Bees this season – was particularly significant as all three of their relegation rivals – Hull, Luctonians and Preston Grasshoppers - were not only defeated, but also failed to pick up any bonus points in the process.

Huddersfield stretched the concept of arriving fashionably late, with their coach pulling up on the car pack 25 minutes after the official 2pm kick off time. When the game finally got underway at 2.40pm (incidentally ten minutes after the rescheduled time), the visitors showed no ill-effects from their extended journey – indeed were first on the scoreboard after just five minutes thanks to a try by hooker Ben Morrill, converted by diminutive scrum half, Joel Hinchcliffe.

Both Morrill and Hinchcliffe were to be stand out players for Huddersfield in what ultimately would prove to be a losing cause for the visitors from West Yorkshire.

The Bees finally got to take advantage of the wind with a well taken try by lively scrum half Charlie Ding, set up by a lovely break and dummy by Ian Briggs. Canning added the conversion – the first of five successive attempts out of five in another high class kicking display in, at times, very blustery conditions.

More patient play from the Bees was rewarded with a second try on the 28 minute mark – full back Briggs again in the thick of things in a try made by a nice break and feed from fly half Canning.

Whilst the Bees scrum was relatively solid, the line out was inconsistent all afternoon and that was to cost them a golden opportunity shortly afterwards, when they were just 5m from the Huddersfield line. The big Huddersfield forwards, well-marshalled by skipper Nick Sharpe at No.8 , then made the Bees pay for their profligacy, shoving the Bees pack backwards at a rate of knots at the other end of the pitch and earning themselves a penalty try on the stroke of half time.

With the score level at 14-14 at the break and the prospect of playing against the wind in the second half, seasoned Bees’ followers could have been forgiven for any feeling somewhat uneasy about how the game could pan out. However, any misgivings were thankfully scotched by a commanding and controlled performance in the second period which emphatically belonged to a well-organised Birmingham & Solihull side, as they bagged all five points on offer.

Winger Dai Evans dashed over in the corner for a third try just 8 minutes in the second period, which was followed two minutes later when centre Steve Johns stretched far enough to secure the fourth and bonus-point score.

Huddersfield showed that they were still intent on making a contest of it with a Sharpe try with 14 minutes still on the clock. However another well taken try by Johns, set up by Evans after some more excellent work from the tireless Ashley Scriven sealed the game. The Bees openside flanker was later justly awarded the man of the match.

Bees have next weekend off to regroup before travelling up to the Wirral to face Caldy on Saturday 11th April (KO 3pm), with the next home game against fellow relegation contender Hull RUFC on Saturday 18th April (Portway, KO 2pm).

Teams

Huddersfield – Tom Hodson, Nick Rawsthorne, Elliot Hodgson, Tom Owen, Elliot Knight, Chris Bell, Joel Hinchcliffe (3C), Nick Sharpe © (T), Ross Thornton, Adam Malthouse, Austen Thompson, Nick Rhodes, Laurence Sanderson, Ben Morrill (T), Alex Battye. Replacements – Dan Jeffrey, Gareth Lewis, James Purcell, Lewis Workman and Henry Walker. Penalty Try (T)

Birmingham & Solihull – Ian Briggs (T), Dai Evans (T), Steve Johns (2T), Rob Connolly, Aquile Smith, Adam Canning (5C), Charlie Ding (T), Steve Leach, Ashley Scriven, Henno Venter, Chris Goddard©, Matt Spink, Nick Bingham, Will Crane and Liam Dunne. Replacements – Andy Kettle, Pete Koziot, Jack Linnett, Rod Petty and Jimmy Oliver.

Referee – Brendan McGaffney