Spalding 12
Bedford Queens 16
This was a shock result waiting to happen, with Queen’s playing with more cohesion and able to execute their game play, unlike Spalding.
Earlier in the season, Spalding had come away with a narrow win with Queens dominating the last 15 minutes but the visitors had Daryl Veenendaal back in their team at fly half after injury.
Spalding started the brighter, with the forwards having the upper hand in the scrums with the same front five packing down. But both teams were cancelling each other out as defences were on top with slippery conditions under foot.
Steadily the visitors’ confidence grew, with no score on the scoreboard and as fullback, Jack Patrick, made a tackle beyond the horizontal, a yellow card was produced.
Queens kicked to touch, secured their lineout ball, and drove for the try line. They thought they had scored, Spalding’s strong defence thought the ball had been held up and the referee gave a 5-metre scrum to Queens.
Initially it was successively defended but finally Queens’ prop drove over and with Veenendaal successfully converting, Queens had a seven-point advantage
Through Miguel Da Silva and Ash Piccaver, Spalding’s forwards responded with good carries, gaining territory but rarely threatening the try line.
Veenendaal executed a lovely 50-22 kick, turning defence into attack and, following a surprising referee decision to award Queens a penalty at a scrum when Spalding had driven Queens backward, a Veenendaal kick sailed between the posts for the visitors to going in at half time with a ten-point lead.
Spalding needed to up their intensity but from the restart Queens had encamped themselves in Spalding’s half and flying into a ruck Jordan Templer was yellow carded, but the penalty kick was missed.
The visitors, pressing with a man advantage, looked to be scoring a certain try in the corner when Da Silva’s last minute tackle sent the Queens’ player into touch, but a penalty was awarded for a no arms tackle.
Spalding defended well but minutes later Veenendaal kicked another penalty in front of the posts to extend the lead to 13 points.
From the kick-off Spalding pressed Queens deep in their half and a thrusting drive and dive by captain Luke Turner and he was over the try line for an unconverted try.
Spalding followed this up with a deep kick downfield by fly half Conall Mason with Ben Shields and Fabian Simpson chasing down.
Queens tried to clear with a kick into the advancing Spalding players and a kick forward saw Gav Sharman race through to score and with a successful conversion there was just one point in the game, with 25 minutes remaining.
Queens were equally determined to hold onto their lead and Veeneendaal was marshalling his forwards with a couple of phases of play driving the ball up, followed by a kick to gain territory putting pressure back onto Spalding. A simple game plan well executed.
With a ruck in front of Spalding’s posts the referee judged scrum half Will Shields to have broken around the side too early, penalty awarded, for a simple kick and a four point lead to Queens.
Through forwards Macaulay Crane, Ash Ankar and Sam Noble made carries deep into the Queens’ defence, the winning try eluded and Spalding suffered their second defeat of the season.
Having gone off the boil, Spalding will need to rediscover their pre-Christmas form with away trips to Rushden & Higham, Stewarts & Lloyds and Melton Mowbray over the next three Saturdays.
