Having scored only three tries in the win over Doncaster last week, Neil Back's side again hinted there is still room for improvement as they managed only a hat-trick of five-pointers in a 19-8 win over Bedford at Headingley Carnegie.

The result takes them four points clear of Exeter at the top of National One, but their closest rivals have pulled to within a victory of Leeds after picking up a bonus point in a vital win over third-place Nottingham.

The overriding feeling after the game was one of frustration in the home dressing room as they looked certain to capture the full five points on offer when Tom Biggs crossed for his side's third try after just 46 minutes with a 40-metre break set up by a sublime offload by man-of-the-match Tommy McGee.

Leeds threw everything at Bedford in the remainder of the game but could not find another score. Both teams showed some real flair in bitterly cold, wet conditions and credit must go to each side for playing the game in an attractive spirit.

Leeds dominated the early exchanges and took the lead through Scott Barrow when he finished off a flowing move along the backline.

The wonderfully named Billy Twelvetrees kicked a penalty for the visitors before Calum Clark crossed for the home side's second try. The Carnegie pack took the ball 10 metres out and rumbled over the line with Clark emerging from a mass of bodies to claim the try. Jason Strange added his second conversion to make the half-time score 14-3.

It looked like Leeds would go on to claim the bonus point when Biggs crossed with over half an hour to go but Bedford kept them out. Referee Martin Fox lost patience with the visitors' indiscipline and sinbinned Twelvetrees, but it was not until the 77th minute after a number of warnings.

Bedford got the last score of when full-back Will Harries went 80 metres to score a try against the run of play and Leeds ran out of time to clinch the bonus point. The match with Exeter at Headingley on the Saturday before Christmas has all the makings of a potential mid-season title decider.

Leeds Carnegie: Hinton, Welding, Hepworth, Barrow, Biggs, Strange, Mathie, Pala'amo, Rawlinson, McGee, Murphy, Pendlebury, Myall, Clark, Oakley Replacements: Gomez for Pala'amo (50), Nilsen, D Paul for Oakley (67), Fourie for Clark (61), Bedford for Mathie (67), H Paul for Barrow (67), Vickerman.

Bedford Blues: Harries, Owen, Burke, Roberts, Dodge, Twelvetrees, Walshe, Cecere, Richmond, Boulton, Cannon, Botha, Gillanders, Harding, McKay. Replacements: Sammons for Richmond (67), Graham for Boulton (27), Howard, Daynes for MacKay (70), Chudley, Vass for Dodge (74), Davey for Burke (54).

Referee: Martin Fox.