Bradford & Bingley 62, Birkenhead Park 19

Bradford & Bingley started the Henry Paul era with an emphatic SSE National League Three North victory, skipper Guy Ford finishing his tenure at Wagon Lane with two more tries and the final conversion.

Park, who have been relegated but were only a place below the Bees, arrived with a young side and were 38-0 behind at the interval.

After a rollicking from their coach at the interval, the second half was much closer but the Bees still won it 24-19 to claim their tenth victory of a season of under-achievement.

“We wanted to see Guy off with a victory and make up for what happened at Sandal (where they lost by a club record 122-5 nine days ago),” said Bradford & Bingley’s first-team manager Benji Pickin.

The hosts soon exploited weak Park tackling to score two tries inside 13 minutes, both winger Adam Wellington and flanker Adam Malthouse, who was man of the match, collecting the ball on the halfway line before weaving through for tries, Malthouse going over in the corner despite being chased down by Park’s full back.

Winger James Morton joined in the fun two minutes later, scrum half Richard Scull having taged on the conversions to the first two tries.

Ahead 19-0, the Bees could now relax and No 8 Ford crossed in the 28th and 38th minutes before centre Richard Tafa went over in the 39th minute, Scull landing two more conversions.

Park were first on the scoreboard in the second half with a converted try after 42 minutes but the Bees responded with a penalty try ten minutes later, the referee’s patience being spent by three successive penalties awarded against Park.

Ironically, however, the referee blew up just as Ford went over for what would have been his hat-trick try, and Scull’s conversion from in front of the posts was charged down.

Wellington bagged his second try on the hour and was followed by one for the front-row union, prop Jason Moss going over in the 66th minute to celebrate his call-up for Yorkshire.

He won’t have to swap grounds, however, as the match against Cheshire next Saturday is at Wagon Lane (3pm).

Scull’s conversion made the score 55-7 and there was still time for replacement back Josh Seal to go over a minute later, club stalwart Ford fittingly adding the conversion.

The last word, however, belonged to Park, who added tries in the 70th and 73rd minutes, the latter try being converted, to at least add a touch of respectability to the scoreline.

Bradford & Bingley’s club dinner next Friday (7pm), where the speakers will be Burnage president Steve Willcock, Bees president Tony Rae and Ford.

The Bees will play in a Yorkshire Sevens qualifier on June 1 in Keighley.