Birkenhead Park 17, Bradford & Bingley 11

An improved performance from Martin Whitcombe's Bradford & Bingley led to them returning with a National League Three North bonus point from the Wirral yesterday.

The victory keeps the home side in second spot but director of rugby Whitcombe will surely be disappointed the Bees did not return with four league points.

They had enough ball and enough chances to have returned with a win and were on top for long periods of the game.

However, key turnovers gifted the home side two of their tries and the Wagon Lane men spurned a couple of glorious chances to score, and in this toughest of leagues it is the smallest of margins that often decides the outcome.

The pack, which is usually very efficient close to the goal-line, failed to convert anything from two five-metre line-outs and fly half Giles Hetherington, was guilty of missing one golden opportunity as he went for the line himself with two team-mates offering an overlap.

For the second week in a row, the Bees also gave away a crucial interception as a wayward pass from Steve Brimacombe was snapped up by a Birkenhead Park player and returned to the other end of the field for a five-pointer.

The home side opened the brighter but as the visitors settled into their game the Bees gradually took the upper hand.

Martyn Mitchell put in a tremendous shift from blind-side flanker as the Bees pack won enough ball to keep the visitors on top.

It took 33 minutes for the Bees to turn pressure into points as Grant Litt crossed.

Gavin Stead could not add the extra points but within three minutes Robert Houliston had brought the home side level.

Stead then made amends for his earlier miss, adding three points from a penalty.

The sides turned round at 8-5 but in an eight-minute period after half-time, the home side enjoyed a period of dominance and added two scores from Greg Hughes and Freeman Payne to find themselves nine points in front after Dave Hall improved one score with a conversion.

Hall hit the post with another kick from right in front of the uprights and it was this miss which ultimately allowed the visitors to stay within seven points to claim the bonus point, but with fully half an hour to play the visitors must have believed that they enjoyed enough territory and possession to have sneaked the win but could only add a single penalty from Stead on 67 minutes.