By Administrator
September 22 2013

In front of 2265 fans, Jersey put on an impressive second half defensive display to repel Bedford. 

Bedford boss Mike Rayer was a disappointed man at his team's high error count, Jersey's Ben Harvey was content with the committed 80-minute display delivered by his side.

"We really needed to put in a strong showing today, not just for ourselves but for our home crowd, We bounced back really well and to stop a good attacking side like Bedford from scoring a point in the second half was a great effort." Said Ben Harvey

The home side conceded a penalty in the opening minute; Blues captain James Pritchard took the points easily and shortly after (after Jersey were penalised at the Scrum).

Shortly after, Jersey  fly-half Niall O'Connor, who missed his side's first league game through injury, executed perfect cross field kick which winger Ed Dawson claimed and crossed for the try.

Jersey's narrow lead became a significant one when O'Connor slotted a penalty and then converted his side's second try, scored by flanker Fred Silcock from a catch and drive from the line out.

Needing to get back into the game before the break, Blues made a rare surge into Jersey territory, with Mark Atkinson breaking through and getting within five metres of the try-line. Quick ball was fed via Brendan Burke to Pritchard who finished well by the corner flag.

 

Half Time Jersey 20 – 14 Bedford.

O'Connor scored the only points of the second half, with a high tackle just inside Bedford’s half penalised and a second infringement later also penalised taking jersey to 26 – 14 up.

The final quarter was scoreless, with Bedford enjoying nearly all the possession and a combination of ferocious and commited tackling and some generally poor handling keeping Bedford around the Jersey 22.

Rayer was left to lament an unforced error-count which he estimated at around 25 'offences'.

"The first half was especially bad, we couldn't put more than three phases together, and it wasn't that much better later on," he said. "Rugby's a simple game, but when you can't do the basics right it's hugely frustrating. Jersey got points pretty much every time they got into our half."


Jersey: Pointer, Foster, McCrea, Bishop, Dawson, O'Connor, Griffiths; McCarthy, Taione, Young (Selway 64), Campbell (Markham 74), Rae (capt), Maidment (Buckle 64), Silcock, Brown. Replacements not used: Stratford, Fidler, Williams, Penberthy.

Bedford Blues: Pritchard (capt) (Le Bourgeois 56), Dodge, Burke, Atkinson, Edwards, Sharp, Baldwin (Veenendaal 61); Auterac (Steenkamp 66), Spurling (Clare 66), Boulton (Cooper 64), Howard, Gulliver, Armes (Barrell 53), Fox (Tupai 64), Vandermolen.

Referee: Luke Pearce

Attendance: 2,265
Men-of-the-match (chosen by match sponsor HSBC): Niall O'Connor and Elvis Taione (Jersey)
Bedford Blues' Followers man-of-the-match: Mark Atkinson
Half-time: 20-14

Scorers
Jersey
Tries: Dawson 7, Silcock 17
Conversions: O'Connor 7, 17
Penalties: O'Connor 9, 25, 46, 57

Bedford
Try: Pritchard 37
Penalties: Pritchard 1, 5, 29