Leeds get the Blues after blowing their chance at Bedford

Six days earlier, the sides had fought out a 24-24 draw at Headingley in a game that Leeds dominated for long periods.

Once again on Saturday, Leeds missed chances to seal a second win of the season at Goldington Road as they threw away the lead three times in the second half.

Bedford opened the scoring after 12 minutes when James Pritchard kicked a penalty from close range but Leeds were looking dangerous with ball in hand and duly scored the opening try through returning prop Mike MacDonald.

Good work from Halani Aulika and Stevie McColl created the chance and there was no stopping the USA international from close range. Tommy Bell added the conversion and a subsequent penalty to put the visitors 10-3 in front five minutes before half-time.

Pritchard cut the deficit with a penalty and Leeds were left to rue three missed kicks by full-back Bell in the first half but were still good value for their lead at the interval.

The lead was cancelled out at the start of the second half when Josh Bassett won the race to touch down a kick infield, Pritchard converting to make it 13-10.

Leeds hit back almost instantly when second-row Richard Beck emerged from a ruck to crash over for the try. Bell’s conversion put Leeds back in front at 17-13.

However, from the kick-off Aulika was guilty of over playing near his line and knocked on. From the scrum, scrum-half Luke Baldwin picked up and went on an arcing run to go over untouched between the posts. Pritchard converted to make it 20-17.

After two missed penalties for Bedford, fly-half Jake Sharp kicked a long-range effort with five minutes to play and then added a drop goal to put his side nine points in front.

Leeds needed a score to at least salvage a losing bonus point and they did just that with a long-range penalty from Bell but they could not produce one last charge to claim victory and their fate is no longer in their own hands.

Speaking after the game, head coach Diccon Edwards said: “We made some poor decisions and that has come back to haunt us in the end.

“We were in a position to win the game but did not make the right options to make that possible. That was the case in our game last week against Bedford and we could easily be in a position with two wins and a draw going into our final two games.

“That is not the case and, unfortunately, our fate is not in our own hands now.”

Bedford Blues: Pritchard (Lennard 70), Dodge (Vass 48), Burke, Staff, Bassett, Sharp, Baldwin (Veenendaal 77), Walsh, Cochrane, Boulton (Cooper 50), Tupai (Howard 50), Rae, Fisher (Harding 68), Fox, Barrell. Unused: Chris Locke.

Leeds Carnegie: Bell, McColl, Thornley, Davies, Lucock (Blackett 43), Ford, Cliff, MacDonald (Mustafa 50), Titterrell (Freer 68), Aulika (Denman 64), Beck, Hohneck, Williamson (Walker 64), Rowan, Burrows. Unused: Hemingway, Shaw.

Referee: M Carley.