Bedford Blues 18 Doncaster Knights 18: Improving Knights rue failure to take their chances

The opening exchanges belonged to Bedford as the Doncaster discipline faltered at the breakdown, giving former Knights fly-half Jamie Lennard the opportunity to register the first points of the televised encounter.

Knights posted an immediate response through the boot of Tom Luke as Brett Davey’s side began to impose themselves.

The hostile home support could not prevent Michael Keating’s solo effort as the summer signing tiptoed through the Blues defence after a perfectly-executed chip, Luke converting.

Discipline wavered throughout the half as Luke and Lennard missed penalties. Bedford continued to force the issue, but the Knights’ tackling appeared much improved since the return of defence coach Neil Kelly, as they held their lead at the interval. They increased their tempo for the second half but it was Bedford who levelled when former Knight Neil Cochrane touched down in the corner after a lineout, Lennard converting.

Lennard kicked Bedford ahead before a rush of blood from Latu Makaafi saw the Yorkshiremen reduced to 14. Brett Davey’s soldiers regrouped and were rewarded with a penalty.

Josh Bassett raced through for a try for the hosts but Lennard failed to add the extras.

Then Chris Hallam unleashed Dougie Flockhart who fed PJ Gidlow and he bulldozed through the Blues rearguard for the leveller, but again the crucial kick was missed.

With time running out David McIlwaine was faced with a 56-metre penalty which clipped the bar and post and stayed out.

One final chance fell to captain Hallam who spotted a gap from a quick tap but was tackled short, much to his disappointment, after he opted against the kicking chance that could have decided the game.

Doncaster Knights: McIlwaine,Flockhart, Goss, Gidlow (Whitehead 75), Keating, Luke, Hallam, Corsar (Davies 58), Boden (Yeandle 58), Brown, Challinor (Boyde 65), Parsons, Makaafi (Noone 71), Farivarz (Bradford 71), Planchant. Unused replacements: Audis.

Bedford Blues: Pritchard, Schmidt, Burke, Bedford (Dodge 54), Bassett, Lennard, Liebenburg (Veenendaal 48), Steenkamp (Walsh 52), Cochrane, Seal, Pailor (Howard 48), Tomes, Rae, Harding, Tupai (Barrell 49). Unused replacements: Locke, Sharp.

Referee: M Fox.