By Leipziger
April 29 2013

The Falcons overcame a difficult semi-final at Bedford on Saturday to make it to the British & Irish Cup Final and keep alive hopes of a league and cup double.

The final will be at KP in two and a half weeks’ time against Leinster A after the Irishmen beat their compatriots from Munster in the other semi on Friday evening.

Bedford will however feel aggrieved that they are not hosting the final after pushing the Falcons to the wire at Goldington Road.

Dean Richards made a number of late changes to the team, bringing in Jamie Helleur, Oliver Tomaszcyk and James Hudson for James Fitzpatrick, Scott Wilson and Carlo Del Fava, while Joel Hodgson was added to the bench.

Bedford were clearly up for the game and were dominant early on, piling on the pressure but failing to score even though Myles Dorian’s first penalty at goal was comically lost in the sun by Jimmy Gopperth as it dropped wide of the posts.

Mark Wilson made a midfield break for the Falcons’ first real attack uphill but was hauled down before getting to the line and the visitors also could not capitalise.

Dorian’s second penalty kick hit the outside of the Falcons’ left post before Gopperth missed with his own first attempt.

However the Falcons came more into the game and with frustration rising and handbags coming close, Gopperth’s next kick gave the Falcons the lead against the run of play and gravity.

A second penalty just before the break made the half-time score 0-6, and if Richards and co were not the coaches more pleased with their team’s performance, they certainly would have been happy with the scoreline.

But if Bedford were demoralised at half-time they didn’t show it, and they continued to play well in the second half.

It was the Falcons however who used the slope to their advantage early on and within minutes Ally Hogg had driven Jonny Golding over for a try for the soon-retiring prop.

Gopperth, whose break helped to set up the score, converted and put us 0-13 up.

Alex Tait made amends for a floppy tackle in the middle of the pitch by bundling a Bedford player into touch on their far right seconds later, and though the hosts’ hopes were dealt a blow when captain Darren Fox was sent to the bin, Jake Sharp got the Pinks on the scoresheet with a penalty.

Gopperth attempted to repeat his trick from the league meeting at Goldington Road but his drop-goal attempt went wide.

However, the 22 drop-out along the line missed all of the Bedford team and Noah Cato was alert to catch the ball and fight through the Blues’ defence to touch down. The try went unconverted by at 3-18 it should have been game over.

Just seconds after replacing Warren Fury, Jordi Pasqualin was sent off for pulling back a chasing opponent as we were pinned back, and the Midlanders began their late fightback.

James Stephenson was first on the scoreboard for a converted score, but it should still have been OK.

With away fans whistling, Mark Howard rounded the stretched Falcons’ defence on the Bedford right and scored his team’s second try in the high corner of the pitch. The conversion missed but a penalty or drop-goal would still send the game to extra time (I presume).

But it was the Falcons who won the kick-off and eventually a penalty, which was sent to touch to send us into the final.

It wasn’t pretty, but a win is what we needed in a cup tie and to respond after Bristol last week. Perhaps more importantly, that is three wins against Bedford from three games, two away from home. That may give us a psychological edge should we meet the Blues in the playoffs.