Gritty Coventry virtually clinched an against-the-odds win at Bedford regardless of the 51^st minute dismissal of Jordon Poole for 2 yellow playing cards.

With Tommy Mathews kicking 13 factors the guests held a three-point benefit with 5 minutes remaining earlier than Bedford topped off a protracted spell of strain by driving substitute James Fish over for a match-clinching fourth attempt.

Charlie Robson and Ryan Hutler claimed tries for Cov to which Fish, Tommy Herman and Dean Adamson replied for the Blues who have been additionally awarded a penalty attempt following Poole’s pink card.

And finally it was Bedford who made fewer errors, conceded fewer penalties, scored 4 tries to 2 and in consequence edged the win that ended their seven-match dropping run towards Coventry.

Coventry’s replacements have been but to take their seats when Robson fielded a protracted Bedford clearance on midway and jinked his well beyond three tacklers to open the scoring earlier than a minute had gone.

After Mathews added the conversion, it was the hosts who threatened subsequent by means of an assault constructed round highly effective carries from Michael le Bourgeois and no.8 Cameron King which ultimately petered out contained in the guests’ 22.

Robson then did properly to stop former Cov fly half Will Maisey choosing out le Bourgeois with a exact cross kick however the residence aspect did ultimately convert their territorial superiority into factors when hooker Hernan was pushed over from shut vary.

Referee Richard Gordon additionally confirmed Cov skipper Poole a yellow card as the autumn man for his workforce’s persistent infringement earlier than Maisey failed so as to add an angled conversion.

Though the Blues pressed exhausting in the course of the power-play interval it was Coventry that went closest to claiming a rating when Josh Barton recovered a free cross underneath the house posts just for some good scramble defence to rapidly snuff out the chance.

Robson ended a wonderful first half with a well-timed sliding intervention that prevented the harmful Adamson from profitable the race to Maisey’s exact grubber.

However regardless of this it was Bedford who went into the break with their noses in entrance because of their fly half’s well-struck 35-metre penalty.

Former Bedford winger Hutler restored Cov’s benefit quickly after the restart when he utilized a great end to a well-constructed transfer which started with a strong Tiki Nayalo carry.

After Mathews added the extras, the match took a dramatic flip as Mr Gordon awarded a penalty attempt to the house aspect when a maul collapsed on the finish of a protracted spell of strain deep inside Cov’s 22.

Poole was additionally deemed accountable and proven a second yellow card together with a pink which left the guests to play 29 minutes with 14 gamers.

Buoyed by the arrival of contemporary legs from the bench the Blue-and-Whites twice received penalties inside the house half which Mathews transformed into factors with a pair of wonderful kicks.

However Bedford have been again on stage phrases with quarter-hour remaining when Louis James recognized area and picked out Adamson on the left wing who scorched to the nook.

The lead then modified fingers for a sixth time when Mathews’ third penalty put Cov 20-23 forward.

Nonetheless, the house aspect saved their heads and because the contest entered the closing 5 minutes they pressured a sequence of penalties and ultimately drove substitute hooker Fish over for a match-clinching attempt which Maisey upgraded with a wonderful touchline kick.

Bedford Blues: James ; Garside, Le Bourgeois, Matavesi, Adamson; Maisey, Day; Jack, Herman (Fish 46), Heffernan (Conway 46); Frost, Woolford; Brown, Howard, King (Arthur 53)

Replacements:  Hay, Smith, Ward, Lennon, Titherington  

Coventry: Robson; Opoku (Hitchcock 56), Hutler, Tiueti, Martin; Mathews, Barton (Maunder 43); Trinder (Warren 61), Poole, Salt (Nairau 43); Nkwocha, Tyas; Ball (Owen 71), Hinkley (Biggs 52), Nayalo (Biggs 29-36)

Replacements: Okeke, Mannion

Referee: Richard Gordon

Half-Time: Bedford Blues 8-7 Coventry Rugby

Attendance: 2675

Scorers:

Bedford Blues:

Tries: Hernan (25), Penalty Strive (51), Adamson (65), Fish (76)

Conversions: Maisey (76)

Penalties: Maisey (40)

Coventry:

Tries: Robson (1), Hutler (47)

Conversions: Mathews (1) (47)

Penalties: Mathews (55) (60) (68)