It's difficult taking notes when you are wearing gloves, so I apologise for the rather poor quality of this report.  The enormous pasty queue, caused be the closed stall in Idiot's Corner (and running out just before I got to the front!) didn't help either.  This is the second game with pasty problems and just isn't good enough.

Anyway, Bristol opened the half in a positive enough manner but the handling problems of recent games continued to dog the side.  Tom Arscott looked troubled by his hamstring problem for most of the first quarter and it seemed strange, at the ime, that he was kept on.  Bristol's indiscipline, or the fact that the referee apparently could only point one way for a penalty; given the near complete reversal of the penalty count in the second half, led to Bedford taking the lead after ten minutes with a well taken kick from Pritchard who had been unable to hit a cow's a**e with a banjo in the reverse fixture.  0 - 3 to Bedford.

Bristol quickly struck back when a pass from Bedford was easily read by Jack Adams to set up a good field position before Redford Pennycook flipped the ball out to Lee Robinson.  He showed greater awareness than his critics allow by chipping over the defence, collecting the ball and powering over for the first try of the game.  Adrian Jarvis converted and Bristol led 7 - 3.  Robinson looked sharp and aggressive throughout, tackling well, getting involved in some flare-ups and shouting at other players.  You might think this would silence the doubters but I'm sure that next time he makes a mistake they'll all jump back on the bandwagon.

In typical Bristol fashion the gap was soon narrowed to 7 - 6 with the award of another kickable penalty to Bedford.  Worse was to come just a minute later when a high kick down to the Bristol 22 was totally misread by Arscott (and, to be clear, this wasn't Robinson's fault at all), or perhaps his hamstring was playing up.  The bounce of the ball was kind for Bedford and, one pass later, Dodge was over untouched for a converted try and a 7 - 13 lead.

A surprising penalty was awarded to Bristol five minutes later and Jarvis edged Bristol closer, before normal service was resumed to allow Pritchard to restore the gap to 10 - 16.  With the half drawing towards its close, Bristol tried to up the pace.  Robinson was again prominent and Junior Fatialofa tried to inject some directness to proceedings, but was static when receiving the ball and had to use his strength to keep possession rather than burst through the defence.  Bristol maintained the pressure and looked to have gained their prize from a penalty but Jarvis' kick rather musically hit the post.

Having ended the half well it was disappointing to go in trailing the visitors.  Bristol came out in the second half in similar vein, but determined to make their pressure count.  However, early errors betrayed a degree of nervousness and Bristol were unable to fashion a scoring opportunity until ten minutes had passed.  Jarvis made a break that briefly opened the defence before the ball was moved out the Adams, advancing from deep.  It appeared that he would only be able to set up another phase but his strength and the angle of his run allowed him to burst over the line with defenders clinging to him.  Jarvis converted and Bristol had edged into a one point lead at 17 - 16.

It was to be a lead that Bristol would not relinquish, with Bedford unable to add to their first half tally.  Just minutes later Jarvis extended the gap with a well struck penalty.  The Force was strong with Bristol now and they kept up the pressure on the visiting side with good handling and offloading out of the tackle.  The kicking game was less telling and Dan Norton was fortunate to remain on the pitch when Dodge, fielding a high kick, crashed over the winger and had to be helped from the field with what looked to be a dislocated shoulder.

Norton did not allow himself to be distracted by the referee's lecture and continued to be sharp, and, creditably Bedford rejected the urge to exact retribution of their own, although things did become a little heated amongst the forwards.  Mainly this was because Bristol had a real advantage in the tight and this was exemplified as Bristol elected for the scrum when awarded a penalty.  Jarvis darted close to the line and the forwards piled in and Mark Irish, who moments earlier had looked as if he was going to be sick after being winded, came away with a try that Jarvis was unable to convert.  Bristol looked good value for 25 - 16 lead.

One try was need for the bonus point and it came just five minutes later.  Darren Crompton, only just on because of the pasty shortage, started a brief scuffle and then showed how to demolish his opponent in the scrum.  The penalty went Bristol's way and Jarvis quickly tapped and went.  He popped the ball up to Adams who quickly fed Arscott out on the left.  Showing impressive pace, for someone who could barely walk in the first half, he sped down the wing.  A brief show of the ball to Norton fixed the defenders and he rounded them, with a neat hand-off thrown in, to score a fine try that negated his earlier error.  Jarvis was off-target with the tricky conversion but Bristol led 30 - 16.  For good measure Bristol scored a fifth try just before full time when another tapped penalty set up replacement Sam Giddens to show good strength and skill to go over out left for his first try for Bristol.  Showing that he adds to our kicking options he then converted his own try for a final score of 37 - 16. 

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