Defeat bad news for Cov Cup dream

COVENTRY have it all to do if they are to make it past the group stage of the Championship Cup after narrowly missing out under the lights at Bedford on Friday.

Going into this Saturday’s home clash with league strugglers London Scottish, Alex Rae’s side have lost two from two and a repeat of last year’s run to the cup final looks a distant dream.

While the team chosen for the opening fixture at Doncaster had something of an unfamiliar feel, the regulars were back in the blue and white with the director of rugby making 11 changes to his XV.

With a 3,000 crowd, there was an electric atmosphere but it took a while for the game to ignite and after Cov had missed a couple of opportunities to threaten the line it was Bedford who chalked up the first points of the evening with a 12th minute Will Maisey penalty.

The fly-half was also involved in the home side’s opening try midway through the half, feeding Jamie Elliott out wide and the centre was able to nip over in the corner.

Cov’s first points came late in the half when Pat Pellegrini kicked a penalty to the corner and, after winning the line-out, the ball was worked through the phases for hooker Suva Ma’asi to dive in.

The visitors had the slope in their favour in the second half but Bedford once again started the better, increasing their lead within three minutes when second row Geordie Irvine crashed over.

Back-to-back Maisey penalties allowed the hosts to open up a 21-7 advantage but the game turned on the hour when a yellow card for Bedford’s experienced Michael Le Bourgeois and a try and conversion from Pellegrini following a Will Chudley break gave the visitors fresh impetus.

Another Maisey penalty steadied home nerves but when Pellegrini crossed for his second try ten minutes from time, which he again converted, the gap was down to three points. That was as close as Cov were to get, though, with yet another Maisey penalty late on wrapping up the win. COVENTRY: Brown, Martin, Rigg, O Betteridge, Cornish (Wand 50), Pellegrini, Chudley (Ogden 60); Trinder (Southworth 59), Ma’asi (Burns 55), Andrews (Verden 55), Tyas (Smith 40), Peters, Ball, Bainbridge, F Betteridge (Read 55). Rep not used: Mitchell.