Clash is sign of DK's fall

In previous years the fixture between Dudley Kingswinford and Bedford Athletic has been one of the defining games of the season.

It signified the cream of the Midlands One crop coming together and attracted inquisitive glares from the national leagues such was the threat both clubs posed at the top of the table.

Indeed, both these sides have played in National Three South.

This campaign, the clash holds nothing like the same meaning – indeed, the word 'clash' might not even appropriate given how disappointing their league results have been in 2007.

The clubs met in the second round of the EDF Intermediate Cup on Saturday and a one-dimensional Ath – lying third from bottom in Midlands One – won easily, just like they did at the start if the season.

DK will now turn their attentions back to league action and a home game against newly-promoted Newport, who, despite bolstering their squad with an array of imports and producing a couple of surprising results will provide one of the better chances of DK securing a first victory of the season.

Such hopes have been aired before onlt ot be replaced by depression at Heathbrook, which looks likely to be hosting Midlands Two West rugby next season.

Newport have struggled in the scrum and lineout in recent seasons -are not as strong as most of the sides, who DK have matched, in those areas.

Despite another dismal display against the Ath there were a few positives to take out of the mismatch among the most notable being the retutn of Al Francis and Sam Herrington to the pack.

Signs of improvement are slow but sure.

Too often this season DK's better work has been undone by a worryingly high unforced error count.

Gareth Davies scored under the posts after being put in by James Lloyd Jones to trail 16-10 at the break but in the second half DK fell apart.

Davies's second try only reduced the deficit to 15 points at 30-15 before Ath winger Ryan Spencer crept over in the corner to add the finishing touches.