Bradford & Bingley 29, Middlesbrough 0

The Bees reached the halfway point in their season with a comfortable bonus-point victory over a very limited Middlesborough side.

This was a workmanlike performance from the Wagon Lane side where everyone in the side did exactly what was expected of them.

The five league points earned mean that Martin Whitcombe’s men stay very much in the promotion race, three points behind second-placed Chester.

By contrast, the defeat sees Middlesborough just above the relegation places.

Middlesborough supporters in the crowd said this was their side’s worst performance of the season and it seems hardly believable that the same team are the only outfit in the division to beat league leaders Stockport.

The victory for the Bees was achieved despite playing the final 37 minutes a man light after Martyn Mitchell was red-carded for punching an opponent.

Substitute prop Roger Raper was sent to the sin-bin for his part in the same incident, so the Bees were reduced to 13 almost immediately after half-time.

However, the home side were able to increase their lead as James Endersby drove over the line after being put through a gap by Grant Litt.

With Gavin Stead tacking on his third succesful conversion, the Bees were 21 points clear with 30 minutes to play.

Although the hosts rem-ained largely in control, it is all credit to the visitors that they kept them at bay until the final whistle when skipper Ryan Wederall burrowed over in the corner.

A number of unforced handling errors also contributed to the home side’s inability to score more points, with Guy Ford having a particularly bad case of butterfingers.

It was half an hour in before the home side were able to get on the scoreboard as Adam Wellington dotted down out wide on the left.

A superb touchline conversion from Stead improved the score.

Stead should have increased the advantage as he tore through up the right-hand touchline but an excellent last-ditch tackle stopped him just short of the line. The Bees pressure told when Brett Mitchell rumbled over under a pile of his team-mates right on half-time.

Stead matched his earlier touchline conversion with another towering effort.

The sides turned round at 14-0 and, almost as soon as the second half was under way, Mitchell and Raper were marching off after their fisticuffs with the opposition.

The Bees, however, remained good value for their win.