Kenilworth give themselves survival boost

With the majority of their remaining fixtures against teams in the bottom half of the table, the first hurdle of Kenilworth’s Midlands One survival bid was successfully negotiated, writes Bob Jones.

However, after a superb first quarter, during which they built a substantial lead, they made hard work of dispatching a resolute Bedworth side, who ended the contest with 13 players courtesy of two red cards.

Directly from the kick-off a surge by Catalin Graur was carried on by Dominic Sheehan, who crossed the line, only to to held up.

The visiting pack could not cope with the resulting five-metre scrum, collapsing it and conceding a penalty try, which Simon Tyler converted.

Ks dominated the following exchanges, with Bedworth hardly able to get out of their own half. A great touch-finder into the opposition 22 by Andy Whitehall set up an attack that saw Bobby Thompson held up in the act of scoring.

This time, the North Warwickshire outfit survived the ensuing scrummage without conceding another penalty try. However, they could not cope with another powerful surge by Thompson, who crossed, with Tyler adding the extras in the 13th minute.

A break by their outside centre, which culminated in the ball being lost in the home 22, was all that Bedworth could muster in the way of response.

A Whitehall punt upfield nearly paid dividends for the chasing Nyle Beckett, but as the game was about to enter its second quarter, he successfully applied a slick finish after somewhat fortuitously gathering a loose ball. Tyler once more improved the score.

The home side remained on top, exhibiting a welcome willingness to move the ball wide, which engineered scoring opportunities, first for Adam Clifford, then Beckett. But, as the half entered its final minutes there were signs of a Bedworth revival courtesy of their forward play.

The visitors maintained their growing momentum in the opening exchanges of the second half, forcing Kenilworth to concede a penalty for foul play, which took them to within a few metres of the home line. More pressure, plus another penalty in the same territory, set up a driving maul that ended with a converted try in the 48th minute.

Their robust approach now began to introduce niggle into the game. After referee Ryan Smith had awarded Ks a penalty for not releasing a man in the tackle, then marched them back ten metres for back-chat, they lost a man for striking an opponent.

Although a searing break by Will Owen, carried on by Clifford before he was forced into touch with the line beckoning, promised that Kenilworth would take full advantage of the extra man, this did not materialise.

To their credit, Bedworth not only defended resolutely, but slowed the game down with driving forward play, plus a few more of the dark arts.

One of the latter saw them incur a sin-binning in the 65th minute.

Now, with just 13 opponents, it seemed Kenilworth would surely get a fourth try and much-needed bonus point.

However, they continued both to butcher their chances and be faced with determined defensive work.

Eventually, they managed to find a way through. Following a scrum under the Bedworth posts, Thompson picked up and stormed over for another converted try.

This was all too much for the visitors, who, as the game entered added time, collected a second red card for a high tackle.

Once again with 13 on the park, they were ripe for the taking and conceded a fifth converted try. Clifford completed the job after a Sheehan break, with Tyler rounding off a faultless display of goal-kicking.