Nottingham 22-20 Bedford Blues (RFU Championship) 23.05.21
A last gasp incredible win for Nottingham – a second of the season and a second in succession saw the returning home crowd go wild at Lady Bay on Sunday as the green and whites stole the points from Bedford Blues thanks to a last gasp Alex Dolly penalty kick.
A tight opening twenty minutes ebbed and flowed before Nottingham took the lead when Jake Farnworth carried the ball over the line after a strong driving maul. Dolly converting to see the only scores of the first half with home soil advantage.
Five minutes into the second it was Bedford were quickest out of the blocks, Onojaife going in wide to reduce the deficit although Maisey’s conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
The home teams slender lead improved after just five minutes when Willie Ryan went over for a quick try with Dolly again converting to make it 14-5 to the Green & Whites.
Gillespie however responded on 56 minutes before Maisey converted to bring the game to within two points but Jake Farnworth got his second try of the game, Dolly this time missing with Nottingham’s lead at seven.
As Bedford pressed late on, Jack Hughes found space out wide on 74 to cross over but with the Blues conversion missed again, the lead for Nottingham was narrow going into the final five minutes, which looked to have been scuppered when a penalty on 79 looked to give the away side a third win of the campaign. That however, was not to be as one last chance gave Nottingham a penalty and Dolly kept his nerve with the last kick of the game to steal victory from the jaws of defeat and send the crowd Trentside into raptures.
A brilliant nail biting game of Rugby Union with Nottingham still in tenth place in the table, but with things looking up, the side are confident going into the match with third placed Doncaster at the weekend, that the club can cause an upset to gain a hat-trick of wins.
*Main image @NottinghamRugby Alex Dolly keeps his nerve to score the winning points.
