BECCLES 3 SAFFRON WALDEN 19

Beccles Bulls lost to league leaders Saffron Walden at Beef Meadow on Saturday. In a match that could have gone either way Saffron Walden managed to pull away at the end to win by 19-3.
Beccles put out a strong side to see if they could make it a clean sweep of victories against the top three at Beef Meadow. The start of the match was very tight with no score in the first twenty minutes. It was Beccles who got on to the score sheet first with a Wade penalty. Saffron Walden turned up the pressure after this and kept Beccles pinned back in their half. The Beccles defence was excellent and the opposition couldn’t find a way through. Saffron Walden could only mange one penalty from twenty minutes of pressure and the half finished with the score at 3-3.
The opposition added two penalties early in the second half to go in to the lead. Beccles upped their game looking for a try. They had pressure on Saffron Walden for long periods. As the game moved into the final ten minutes Gedney was held up just short of the line. Beccles then kicked a penalty into the corner and drove the resulting lineout. A number of drives were held up just short before they lost possession and conceded a penalty. Saffron Walden took it quickly and were only just stopped short of the Beccles line by some good covering by Wade, the White Horse man of the match. With the Beccles defence in disarray the ball was recycled and try scored under the posts.
Beccles had little time to get back in to the game and Saffron Walden were able to add another penalty to give a final score of 3- 19.
Beccles travel to bottom of the table Stowmarket next week in the penultimate game of the season. They will be looking for a win to secure their highest ever league finish.


Keith Johnstone Beccles Press Officer