Five star Bees hang on to deny Coventry

Mar 27 2010 By Ross Crawford

Coventry 18

Birmingham Solihull 22

THE Great Escape continues after a three try first half combined with an heroic defensive display by a bruised and battered Bees laid the foundations for this magnificent victory over near neighbours Coventry.

The heart rates of Bees fans can only now be returning to normal after a pulsating last ten minutes that saw the home side make charge after charge against the Birmingham & Solihull line - crossing it once but failing to ground - before knocking on to lift the siege.

Then deep into injury time Coventry came surging up the field once again before Bees managed to get a boot on the ball and hoof it into touch to call time on this relegation thriller.

Relieved player coach Russell Earnshaw acknowledged that Bees, who lost two players to yellow cards for repeated infringements, had got out of jail.

“The players to a man fronted up and there were some notable performances - if we’d have played this game three weeks ago we’d have lost it but there’s a passion now in the side and I’m proud of the way we performed.

“However I’m disappointed about the yellow cards; we’d spoken to the referee and we all knew where he would be strong and we all knew that a card at this level can be the difference between winning and losing.”

Coventry meanwhile must be literally kicking themselves - fly half Ben Russell had a nightmare of a game, missing one penalty and three conversions, while the Coventry backs, bar their final surge, repeatedly booted the ball back to Bees. Their forwards were equally culpable, coughing up no end of penalties.

There were no surprises at the way Coventry started the game, using their big forwards to hammer the Bees up front, but when the visitors broke out they always looked dangerous.

First skipper Stuart Philpott had a try disallowed for crossing from a well-worked move after 14 minutes before Bees got on the scoreboard proper with a try by man of the man, flanker Rob Connolly on 18 minutes. Winger Simon Hunt converted from wide out.

Bees then sat back and after a period of sustained pressure Coventry prop James Hall crashed over on 29 minutes, but Russell missed the simple conversion.

Six minutes later as Bees gave the ball plenty of air; Hunt cruised through under the posts and then converted his own try to make it 5-14.

Back came Coventry and out came the first yellow with flanker Rob Bell off to the cooler; from the resulting penalty over went the Coventry skipper Henno Venter on 38 minutes, with Russell again missing a sitter of a conversion.

Reduced to 14 men, deep into injury time and with Bees’ fans fearing the worst, who should pop up to score than that man Connolly after winger Anthony Elliot had made a telling break out of defence.

There was still time for Russell to finally score a three pointer before the sides went in at 13-19.

Bees looked fair for a fourth try and the bonus point as the second half started, but last week’s hero, fly half Ben Patston, was making some uncharacteristic mistakes kicking from hand and instead it was Coventry who came storming back, centre John Holtby dancing through the defence to score on 50 minutes. Russell again missed the conversion.

Hunt meanwhile pushed Bees further ahead with a penalty to make it 18-22 on 56 minutes,

There then followed a dogged last quarter - which even featured lock Alex Davidson clearing the lines with surprisingly deft kick - before a desperate Coventry started to throw everything, including the kitchen sink, at the Bees, but the men from Sharmans Cross Road clung on to their lead, and victory.

The victory puts Bees on six points second behind Rotherham, who beat Moseley 29-30, with two wins from two. Moseley have two points and Coventry one.

Bees plays Rotherham away at Clifton Lane next Saturday, April 3.