After a disappointing performance last time out at Baildon, The Bees bounced back in fine style to claim a fifth bonus point win of the season. After a mid week review of the Baildon performance, Coaches Ali Macdonald and Chris Hogg sent the Bees out for this Counties 2 Yorkshire fixture with a clear message to stay focused on their own game and to tighten up the discipline right through the side.

The Bees were clearly focused right from the first whistle and were deservedly ten points in front within the first fifteen minutes. Dom Walker opened the scoring with a penalty on 13 minutes and with their next possession the Bees were quickly on the attack up the left touchline. Scrum half Sammy Wild threaded through a kick deep into the visitors 22 and flanker Dave Exley was quickest to the ball and flopped over for the score out wide to the left of the uprights at the Saltaire end of the ground. Walker belted over the extra points from out wide to put his side ten points in front. However, the visitors were swift to respond as they battled their way into Bees territory.

It was evident that Laund Hill have a number of big forwards who like to run directly at the defence and when number eight, Kobiti Nasaqa, received the ball deep Ito the Bees red zone, he was too powerful from close range for the home defenders to prevent the score. With full back Demir Acarer slotting the conversion it was 10-7 as the first quarter ended.

Both sides made a number of promising breaks, but neither side could beat the last line of defence. The Bees won a penalty to break the deadlock with about six minutes to go before the half. The home side tried to mix the point of attack between forwards and backs, but right on half time it was the brute strength of Jim Nicholas that brought the next score. With a number of defenders hanging on to the Bees’ number eight, Nicholas was able to plough over near to the uprights to give Walker another chip shot conversion to make it 20 points to seven as the sides turned round.

The second half opened with another successful shot at goal from Walker on 43 minutes. Playing up the hill towards the cricket ground, the Bees continued to try moving the ball wide and also trying route one up the middle of the field. However, it was Laund Hill who were next on the score board as scrum half Simon Wilson dotted down on 52 minutes.

As the game continued, the Bees were increasingly dominating territory and possession but could not make the final telling break until Alex Leadbeater charged towards the line from close range to score on 66 minutes. Walker’s conversion made the score 30 points to 12.

Ten minutes later, the Bees backline finally got on the team sheet as centre Jack Kennedy blasted over wide on the right having been stopped on his first attempt to bulldoze through the middle of the visitors defence. At 37 -12, perhaps the Bees thought the game was all finished, but Laund Hill had other ideas and second rower Edward Black ploughed over to end the game and claim a consolation score for the visitors.