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Bedwas fell to defeat as they got their 2023/24 season underway at home to Beddau.
Their first game in the newly-formed WRU National Championship East saw Bedwas ship three tries at a sunny Bridgefield on Saturday September 2.
After an evenly contested first-half, Beddau were more clinical in the second-half to claim the spoils.
Beddau opened the scoring after five minutes, with Number 8 Dylan I Williams crashing over as his side capitalised on a handling error by Bedwas. Cody Baker added the extras.
A James Dixon penalty two minutes later saw Bedwas back in the game but the joy was short-lived as back rower Jordan Goodwin powered over for an unconverted try, putting Beddau 12-3 ahead.
Dixon added a second penalty halfway through the half, which appeared to give Bedwas some confidence.
Ten minutes later, Bedwas had a Dale Rogers try ruled out for being held up. However, good work by the Bedwas pack saw the ball spread wide for Jack Guy to score in the right-hand corner. Dixon added the conversion to put Bedwas ahead for the first time in the contest. 13-12.
But Beddau soon retook the lead through a Baker penalty, before the lead changed hands once more ahead of the interval – James Dixon adding his third penalty of the afternoon to put Bedwas 16-15 up.
Two minutes into the second-half and Beddau’s lead was restored courtesy of a try and conversion from Baker, who was back on the scoresheet midway through the half with another penalty.
Soon after, Bedwas had a try disallowed for a knock-on as the ball was grounded.
Although Beddau were awarded the majority of the scrum penalties throughout the game with Bedwas adjudged to be ‘wheeling’ the scrum ,it was Beddau who were reduced to 14 men as captain Goodwin trudged off to the sin bin for backchat.
Bedwas tried to get back into the game, but the visitors’ defence held strong and Bedwas were unable to find a way through.
A third Baker penalty of the afternoon with three minutes left to play ensured Beddau were deservedly going home with the points.
Bedwas will return to action on Saturday September 9 when they travel to Cyncoed to take on Cardiff Met, with the match kicking-off at 2.30pm.
Match report and imagery courtesy of Ian Lovell, of Bedwas RFC
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