Bishop’s Stortford lose 28-14 at Birmingham Moseley in National 1

Bishop’s Stortford battled hard but saw a losing bonus point slip away in the final minute as they went down 28-14 at Birmingham Moseley in National 1 on Saturday (September 21).

The hosts’ more clinical finishing earned them all the spoils as the visitors suffered a second successive defeat.

Tom Coleman’s men, who sit 10th after three games, are now preparing to welcome eighth-placed Plymouth Albion to Silver Leys this Saturday (September 28).

The home side got off to a flying start with a try to Aguile Smith with barely a minute gone after slick handling in Moseley’s midfield from a lineout outflanked Stortford’s rush defence. Jack Jolly added a good conversion.

The visitors bounced back onto the attack and created room for Josh Stannard out wide, but his kick ahead was touched down by the covering fullback.

Within 10 minutes, however, fellow winger Chris Smith touched down a well-judged kick ahead by Dan Powell after the full-back had cut a decisive line in midfield. Mike Cooke added a good conversion to level the scores.

Moseley generally enjoyed a slight edge in subsequent exchanges, but Stortford looked threatening on the occasional counter-attack.

It was the home side, though, who went ahead with 24 minutes gone. Freddie Painter created room for Aguile Smith to run clear and dummy his way past his opposite number for his second try, followed by an excellent conversion by Jolly.

The visitors were by no means done and were unlucky to be penalised for “ripping an opponent’s head guard off” as a maul drove remorselessly towards the home try line.

Worse was to come for Stortford as Chris Smith was yellow-carded on 36 minutes for killing the ball after hauling his namesake down just short of the try line.

Despite the resultant five-metre Moseley lineout and the one-man deficit, Stortford managed to resist further concerted pressure and saw the first half out to trail by seven points.

The visitors started the second period like a train, but a certain try went begging. Tom Mills set Stannard clear and the winger, having beaten the first-up tackle, was heading for the try line from inside his own half when his hamstring went. He did manage to offload, but an immediate second golden chance was lost with the second pass being knocked on.

This set something of a pattern for the whole half, with Stortford dominating both possession and territory for most of the period, but unable to make the crucial breakthrough.

It was very much against the run of play when the home side broke out of defence, won a penalty and more clinical handling from the lineout saw Aguile Smith in for his hat-trick try.

Despite still losing the territorial battle, Moseley’s big pack came increasingly into its own, dominating the scrums and countering numerous five-metre lineouts resulting from a slew of defensive penalties which, rather belatedly, brought a yellow card for a Moseley forward.

Within two minutes, Chris Smith added to his eventful day with his second try out wide after the visitors moved the ball quickly from yet another attacking lineout and Will Rogers punched a hole in midfield. Cooke again added the extras.

Stortford showed ambition, trying to run the ball in their own 22 from the restart, but a long pass was smartly intercepted and led to a period of Moseley pressure.

It looked as if Stortford had weathered the storm as they broke out to give Chris Smith room on the wing again, but Moseley recovered to such good effect that they put pressure on the ruck, were able to rip the ball free and one pass was enough to see centre Tom Taylor running at the line. A desperate cover tackle was high as the player plunged for the line and a penalty try was awarded.

It rewarded Moseley with a bonus point and deprived Stortford of theirs – a bitter final pill for the latter to swallow.

The scoreline certainly did not reflect the overall balance of the game, but shows the difference more clinical finishing can make.

Stortford: Powell, Stannard, Mills, Biard, C Smith, Cooke, Bolton; Hill, Rayment, Peck, Ferguson, Kiff, Jones, Hammick, Rogers. Replacements: Bell, T Smith, Charter, Briers, Pope.