Bradford & Bingley 17 Billingham 25

If ever there was a game that proves the result does not tell the whole story, this was it.

The Bees had possibly 75 per cent of the territory and almost as much ball in the second half but still managed to engineer a loss.

Five or six kickable penalties were turned down as the Bees pressed Billingham in the seond half. Nick Wainwright was not confident in his ability to convert any of the chances but thought the Bees’ dominant pack would surely convert one of the kicks to the corner into a try but it was not to be.

Although the hosts played the final quarter with a man short as Richard Tafa was shown red around the hour-mark, the home side remained dominant but could not improve their score to even claim a bonus point.

Billingham had been first on the scoresheet with a penalty but within five minutes the home side were in front as Henry Paul stripped the ball out of a Billingham player to feed skipper Brett Mitchell, who spurned the overlap to burrow over to the right of the posts. Billingham’s Peter Evans added to his earlier penalty with a converted try but, on 20 minutes, the hosts replied with the move of the game.

Paul belied his 39 years to skip through a gap and feed Dan Cookson, who kept the move alive from the floor to pop the ball up for Tafa to touch down. Wainwight added the extras to make it 12-10 to the Wagon Lane men at the break.

Playing down the slope, the Bees wasted little time to extend their advantage as Eddie Peglau claimed his second score of the season on 43 minutes.

However, the Bees were soon in arrears as Peter Evans, one of four Evans in the Billingham side, scored his second try on 50 minutes, with a penalty putting the visitors 18-17 up.

Against the run of play, Mike Evans crashed through the Bees defence to increase the visitors’ lead.

Tafa, in a clumsy attempt to dislodge the ball from Evans grasp as he stretched for the line, swung an arm into the No 8’s face, leaving the Billingham player unconscious over the line and getting a red card as a result.

It made little difference to Bees’ dominance but they could not turn that advantage into points.