Bees stung by late rush of tries

BRADFORD & Bingley were again forced to shuffle their side around late in the week and Corey Spencer became the 31st player selected for first-team duty in only the sixth game of what looks likely to be a very long season for the Wagon Lane men.

In winning Yorkshire Division One last season, the Bees were able to largely keep the same starting XV and switch the odd player around as circumstances dictated, whereas this season there have been wholesale changes from week to week.

Richard Tafa claimed that he had hung up his first-team boots before the campaign began but the veteran centre slotted into the No 10 shirt and produced a man-of-the-match performance, scoring two tries along the way.

Tafa was forced off the field with an injury in the second half and, once he left the fray, the Bees seemed to noticeably fall off the pace and allowed their visitors to pull back a nine-point deficit and then run in three converted tries in the final ten minutes.

YMCA were first on the scoresheet as former Bees centre Gavin Stead was on hand to flop over the line after the Bees made a hash of clearing a kick through.

During his time with B&B, Stead was rarely wayward with his shots at goal, but his first shy at the sticks was wide. Yet normal service was soon resumed and Stead always looked assured with his kicks after that early miss.

The Bees were guilty of giving away a string of penalties well within Stead's range, which kept the visitors pegging them back, when better discipline on the off-side line may have just edged the game for Martin Whitcombe's men. Stead landed four kicks between the 22nd and 52nd minutes when the home side were on top.

The visitors' early lead was shortlived as the Bees were quickly in front when Harry Jeffrey galloped through to score under the posts. Schalk Oosthuizen was able to chip over the conversion and it was now 7-5 to the home side with less than five minutes on the clock.

Stead slotted a penalty to put his side a point in front but, with Tafa rolling back the years and galloping through the home defence, it was soon 14-8 to the Bees as Oosthuizen added the extras.

Three more penalties for Stead, with a single successful shot from Oosthuizen, saw the sides turn round at 17-17.

Tafa was again quickest out the blocks in the second half and dummied inside to gallop home up the left wing.

The Bees briefly found themselves with a man advantage and Ryan Wilson was able to dart home, stretching the lead to 29-20 after both kickers had landed penalties.

With parity restored, the legs seemed to be fading in the Bees' defensive line and the visitors were soon at 29-27.

The hosts were now making too many mistakes and, with Tafa off the field, seemed to be leaving increasingly obvious gaps in the defensive wall.

With Bullock and then Fletcher crossing the whitewash, the trusty boot of Stead sealed the win with two final conversions.

The result left the Bees 11th in the North One East table as YMCA consolidated fifth position.