Bradford & Bingley 21 Billingham 20

Bradford & Bingley trailed their north-eastern visitors for 70 minutes in total before pulling off a last-gasp victory.

And even then there was almost a twist in the tale with Billingham having a penalty to win the match in the second minute of time added on.

However, not helped by a bit of unwelcome barracking by home fans, full back Peter Evans horribly hooked the attempt and the Bees leapfrogged them into ninth, climbing two places up a congested lower to mid-table.

It soon became apparent that this match would boil down to a battle between the home forwards and the visitors’ backs, both of whom had clear superiority.

Billingham led 20-7 for almost half the game (37 minutes) but eventually they were defeated by two converted tries as the Bees marked Henry Paul’s full home debut by notching their fifth victory of the season.

“We played too much as individuals in the first half and tried to force things,” admitted Bees coach Ronnie Kelly, “but in the second half we started to play some phases, kept the ball a bit at a good tempo and created chances.”

The Bees had centre Richard Tafa and flanker Chris Fisher sin-binned in the first half, while Billingham’s scrum half Andy Evans had a ten-minute ‘rest’ in the second half.

Kelly added: “The referee didn’t do either side any favours but we only played as we did last week, when we beat Percy Park, late in the game when we went through about nine phases.

“If we win our next two league games (Burnage away January 5; Kendal home January 12) and other results go our way, we could be fifth.”

As for the input of former England international Paul, Kelly said: “He is our calming influence in the backs and reads the game well.”

In direct contrast to how the match ended for him, Peter Evans started the contest well, slotting a penalty in the fourth minute after the Bees were offside in their 22 and converting the eighth-minute try scored by fly half Joe Evans.

Bradford & Bingley’s response was a try by former skipper Ryan Wederall in the 14th minute, Richard Scull converting.

But in a half where there were too many knock-ons by the hosts and too many penalties given away, Peter Evans added a penalty and converted a try by left winger Will Turnbull after a skilful sliding catch by Joe Evans in the build-up.

The Bees were flirting with defeat when Tafa (24 minutes) and Fisher (39 minutes) were sin-binned and the half ended with referee Peter Stentiford blowing his whistle to signal the interval rather than dealing with a fracas.

Second row Brett Mitchell’s interception deep inside his own half in the 46th minute was crucial to the game’s outcome, and the Bees then threw on hooker James Brown and fly half Tom Bills after injuries to Eddie Peglau and Phil Greaves.

Mitchell’s try in the 59th minute, which Scull converted to put the Bees only six points adrift, ratcheted up the tension a couple of notches but when the hosts knocked on from the kick-off, many fans still wondered if it would be their day.

However, that feeling lessened after Scull broke through in the 74th minute for a solo try which he converted.

All that remained was for the Bees to play their most controlled rugby of the match and for Peter Evans to miss that vital last kick.