Doncaster Knights 24 Bedford Blues 0: Promotion-chasing Knights shut-out Blues to claim four-point win

Promotion-chasing Doncaster Knights secured another four-point Championship victory as they nilled Bedford Blues at Castle Park on Saturday.
Try time: Billy McBryde crossed in Doncaster's 24-0 win over Bedford. Picture: Andrew Roe/AHPIX LTDTry time: Billy McBryde crossed in Doncaster's 24-0 win over Bedford. Picture: Andrew Roe/AHPIX LTD
Try time: Billy McBryde crossed in Doncaster's 24-0 win over Bedford. Picture: Andrew Roe/AHPIX LTD

The result leaves Knights second in the table, two points adrift of leaders Ealing Trailfinders, who have two games in hand.

A tightly-contested first half saw few chances created, while referee Nick Wood was forced to police the scrums closely, with both sides penalised for early drives, standing up and not driving straight.

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The home side finally broke the deadlock 10 minutes before half-time when hooker George Roberts spun off the back of a strong driving maul, flicking the ball out to Billy McBryde to allow the fly-half to dive over.

With the conversion from Alex Dolly, the Knights took the full seven-point score. Knights went into the break a man down as Maliq Holden was sin-binned for an infringement near his own line.

As Holden returned early in the second period, Bedford lost a man of their own as prop Joe Conway was yellow-carded and Dolly slotted over the subsequent penalty.

Soon after, Steve Boden’s side bagged their second try as McBryde’s pass missed out two players, found Connor Edwards, who relased centre partner Joe Margetts on a try-socring run to the line. Dolly again improving the score.

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With 10 minutes remaining, Dolly whipped out of the Knights defensive line to cleanly intercept a Bedford pass. On a turn, he fed McBryde with the Welshman running in the score, with Dolly again adding the extras.

In the final minute, Doncaster replacement Joe Wrafter was sent off for a high tackle against his former side, as the Knights played out a man down.