THE BLUESwelcomed topof- the-table Newcastle Falcons to Goldington Road in a repeat of the 2013 Championship final.
In a fairly tidy opening for both sides, the Falcons were the first to smell the try line, with winger Adam Radwan inches away from touching down after a speculative kick forward.
The first points came with nearly a quarter of the game gone; Bedford deservedly taking the lead with a simple penalty from American international Will Hooley.
Any hint of a Newcastle response was scarce with the Bedford defence holding firm whenever the Falcons made it into their 22 and Falcons conceding penalties whenever Blues did get into good territory.
That ill-discipline brought the first yellow card for Falcons prop Rodney Ah You but despite a promising switch in play from the resulting line out, Bedford could not capitalise after a misplaced pass from Lewis Robling.
With the first half coming to a close, Bedford piled on the pressure and would have been disappointed to go into the interval with only a 3-0 lead although not without a squaring up between the two sets of players before they reached the changing rooms.
With the rain lashing down, Falcons came out fighting, quickly setting up camp in the Bedford 22, resulting in the only try of the game for John Hardie to give Newcastle the lead, but with Flood missing the conversion, that lead remained slim.
The Falcons continued to press with former England international Toby Flood converting a simple penalty to extend the lead to 8-3. Newcastle continued to have the upper hand as Bedford's previously solid defence began to wilt under the heat of the Falcons' pressure.
The weather wasn't helping with both teams making handling errors in the wet conditions.
A second penalty for Flood gave the Falcons an 11-3 lead with ten minutes remaining but Bedford responded immediately with a penalty of their own to reduce the deficit back to five points.
But 11-6 to Newcastle was how it remained, with the Falcons showing Premiership- like experience to keep possession and restrict Bedford to kicking long or throwing ambitious passes.
Bedford will be heartened by a courageous performance but Newcastle's nous was the difference as their fifth win in five games left Bedford Blues languishing towards to the bottom of the table.
REFEREE: Anthony Woodthorpe
ATTENDANCE: 2,772
TEAMS
BEDFORD: McCarthy c 6 (Fields 6), Smith 7 (Boye 6), Paul 6 (Wrafter 6), Onojaife 6, Carrick Smith 8 (Buggea 6) Curry 7, Atkinson 6 (Worthington 6), Temm 9, Hart 6 (Lennon 5), Hooley 8, Hutler 6, Robling 6, Coulson 6 (Hirskyj-Douglas 6), Tapley 7 (Adamson 6), Crossdale 7
NEWCASTLE: Lockwood 7 (Blamire 6), McGuigan 7, Ah Yu 5, Berry 7, Robinson 6 (de Chaves 6), Chick 6, Hardie 8, Nagusa 6 (Welch 7), Young 8, Flood 9, Sinoti 7, Waldouck 7 (Hodgson 7), Wacokecoke 6, Radwan 6, Arscott 7.
Not used: Davison, Tampin, Stuart, Stevenson
Star man
Toby Flood – Newcastle
