SSE North One East

Bradford & Bingley 16

Rochdale 29

A FIRST home defeat of the season for Bradford & Bingley sent them into the bottom three of SSE North One East for the first time.

Relegated last season, they began the season with hopes that they might contend for promotion but, on current form, the spectre of slipping down another rung on the rugby union ladder is looming.

The Bees believe they have the players to start winning games they are currently losing but until there is evidence of some structure, some discipline and some evidence that the Wagon Lane men are learning to manage the breakdown better, it could be a very long winter by the banks of the River Aire.

The hosts were again in part instrumental in their downfall, gifting two soft tries and not really showing any real desire in the collisions until the final 20 minutes.

There were again two yellow cards for the Bees, both of which were arguably harsh, but the fact of the matter is that during both periods when the home side were a man light, the visitors crossed the whitewash almost as soon as the player had left the field.

The opening 20 minutes were largely unremarkable, Rochdale full back James Duffy landing a penalty on six minutes, but they burst into life 16 minutes later up the left-hand touchline and were within yards of the line when Richard Tafa made a covering tackle the referee did not like and sin-binned him.

From the re-start, prop Oli Saparamandu barrelled over for a converted try before Kiwi Shaun Driver took advantage of persistent Rochdale offsides to land two penalties.

However, one of his passes was intercepted before half-time, Rochdale left winger Dick West being the recipient for a converted try when he was arguably five yards offside.

Down by 11 points, Bradford & Bingley needed a strong start to the second half and got exactly the opposite when no home player challenged for Rochdale turnover ball at a ruck, allowing Andy Donoghue to step over the prone bodies, tuck the ball under his arm and gallop unopposed to the line.

Duffy converted for 24-6 and, although the Bees began to show some life via James Morton, Richard Scull and Brett Mitchell, the positive things were mostly happening in their own half.

However, around the hour the Bees were suddenly galvanised. An off-the-ball incident between Tafa and West seemed to lift the home side and with it the home support as Rochdale were pushed back to within metres of their line.

Five phases of play were put together and finally Simon Hill crawled under the Rochdale defence for a score, Tom Cokell jinking his way to the corner in their next attack to make it 24-16 with 15 minutes left .

Could the Bees pull victory from the jaws of defeat? Sadly not. Rochdale re-asserted control in midfield and were rewarded with a bonus-point try as the clock wound down.