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Search forBrenton's absence is costly for Albion
Monday, November 17, 2008, 07:00
Unfortunately for Brenton and his team-mates, it was his yellow card and subsequent 10-minute dismissal in the second half of a tight match which saw the hosts take full advantage to score four tries and kick two conversions.
Plymouth were leading 9-8 when the Albion skipper was sin-binned on 52 minutes for a professional foul.
By the time he had returned to the action on 62 minutes, Bedford had raced into a 32-9 lead, leaving the visitors with plenty to do just to get a bonus point out of the encounter.
The Blues rounded off a good afternoon – for them – with a sixth try on 73 minutes to seal their victory.
Albion do deserve praise for trying their best to find a way back into the match – even when they were aware they were chasing a lost cause and were minus the services of prop Martin Rice and fly-half Kieran Hallett, who had both been forced to leave the pitch injured.
The fact that Brenton's absence played such a key role in deciding Saturday's game was testament to the performance he produced while he was on the pitch.
The lock had a fine game, leading by example with endless amounts of energy and enthusiasm, and his encouragement for his team-mates was always plain to see.
His impressive display, which saw him make wave after wave of tackles to thwart the hosts, was all the more commendable considering the disrespectful comments and boos he received from sections of the home crowd.
Banter between supporters and former players is fine and has been so for many a year.
But the lack of respect shown to Brenton – who served Bedford so well between 2002 and 2008, when he made 144 appearances – is something not acceptable in professional rugby and is something which should not be tolerated.
Albion's skipper and his team-mates left the field at the end of the match having tasted defeat for the first time in five National Division One matches.
It was a fair assessment of the game that, when it was 15 against 15, it was Bedford who looked the more threatening going forward.
But Plymouth were coping admirably defensively – especially prior to Brenton's temporary dismissal when they led 9-8 – and they looked dangerous on the break.
The one problem facing the Brickfields outfit was that although they did on occasions find themselves deep in the Bedford half, they never really looked capable of crossing the try-line.
They had their chances and had they taken just one of them before Brenton's costly yellow card, then they may just have approached those 10 minutes when down to 14 men differently.
As it was, they had to settle for three penalties – two from Hallett and one from his replacement Ross Laidlaw – and that was never going to be enough against a Bedford side who looked to attack from all areas of the pitch.
The important thing for Albion now is to dust themselves off and pick themselves up and look forward to this weekend's home match with Esher.
It won't be easy, but the clash is an ideal opportunity for Brenton and his team-mates to exorcise their demons from Saturday's clash at Goldington Road.
It was Bedford who began the match looking the more likely team to trouble the scoreboard first.
Yet it was Albion who opened the scoring on eight minutes when the hosts were penalised for not rolling away from the tackle and Hallett kicked the resulting 25-metre penalty for a 3-0 lead.
However, just three minutes later, Bedford were level when fly-half Billy Twelvetrees slotted a penalty through the centre of the posts.
The visitors regained the lead on 22 minutes when Hallett kicked a brilliant penalty from just inside the hosts' half to put Albion 6-3 ahead.
And they came close to increasing their advantage in the 38th minute when quick thinking from Greg Nicholls – after Albion were awarded a kickable penalty when Bedford were penalised for not rolling away – saw him edge his way closer to the Blues' try-line.
But Nicholls had surprised his team-mates and with a consequent lack of support, he was tackled and the Blues regained possession.
Bedford had an opportunity to tie the scores a minute later when Albion were penalised for not rolling away, but Twelvetrees sent his penalty attempt wide right of the posts.
However, in the fourth minute of added-on time – with Hallett lying injured on the halfway line – the hosts scored the game's opening try through full-back Will Harries.
Twelvetrees missed the conversion, but Bedford went in at half-time leading 8-6.
The home team came out for the second half all guns blazing, but it was Albion who scored the first points of the period on 45 minutes.
The Blues were penalised for offside and Laidlaw sent the resulting 40-metre penalty over the posts for 9-8.
Just a minute later, Albion lost Martin Rice through injury, and then Brenton received his yellow card on 52 minutes.
A minute after Brenton had departed, the hosts took full advantage by scoring their second try through captain Dan Richmond to move back ahead, 13-9.
Twelvetrees missed the conversion, but Bedford added a third try from centre Liam Roberts on 56 minutes to move further clear.
Twelvetrees added the conversion and the hosts were now 20-9 in front.
Two minutes later, the Blues gained the bonus point with a fourth try from replacement Gregor Gillanders.
Twelvetrees missed the conversion, but Bedford were 25-9 ahead and the game was as good as over.
Blues winger Ian Davey then put a further nail in Albion's coffin on 61 minutes when he scored a try under the posts.
Twelvetrees added the conversion and the home side now led 32-9.
Plymouth skipper Brenton returned to the action two minutes later and to their credit, the visitors did their best to find some sort of response.
But it was the home side who scored a fifth try on 73 minutes, courtesy of flanker Sacha Harding – Twelvetrees missed the conversion – to move further ahead, 37-9.
Albion ended the match on the offensive as they went in search of what would have been nothing more than a consolation try.
But they were unable to break down Bedford and must now look to Saturday's home match with Esher as an ideal chance to return to winning ways.
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