Walder Couldn't Kick Himself As Bath Win

This was a game Dave Walder will want to forget, he had five penalty kicks at goal and managed to score just one. As the bloke who stands in for Jonny Wilkinson you have to have some sympathy but at this level there came be no room for sentiment and to be as consistent a misser as JW is a hitter will not have been lost on the folk from Newcastle. His missed kicks may not have won the match but they could have secured a losing bonus point. Olly Barkley must now be well and truly ahead of Walder in the England pecking order with his calm and assured kicking matched by the sort of outfield play Bath need from Mike Catt's replacement. 

Bath took an early lead through two Barkley penalties but between these successes Walder made the first of his unsuccessful attempts at goal. Unfortunately for the Newcastle kicker he hit the top of the post from a difficult touchline attempt and perhaps this sowed an early seed of doubt in his mind. Walder narrowly missed again within three minutes of Barkley's second score and this just summed up how tight is the difference between success and failure.

Perhaps to make Walder fill a bit better, Olly Barkly missed his next penalty attempt but four minutes later Walder's afternoon was almost complete as he missed another kick at goal and to compound his error, Barkley made the score 9-0 to Bath two minutes later after Jamie Noon was penalised for not rolling away from a ruck.

After 34 minutes Matt Perry thought he was going to score the opening try but he misjudged his "momentum slide" to the line and fell short of the whitewash: to make matters worse for the Bath full-back, Andrew Higgins was on his shoulder and may have been better placed to score had Perry passed the ball. Just on half-time Walder missed his kick at goal for the fourth time and this left the half time score at 9-0.

Everyone, including the Bath supporters, heaved a great sigh of relief within a few moments of the re-start when Dave Walder slotted home his fifth penalty attempt as no one could have coped with another failure. But as had been the pattern of the first half, Barkley responded with his own score a few moments later after Wylie Human and Rob Fidler had combined to set up the great field position.

Newcastle then started to place the home team under quite a bit of pressure and Bath spent the next 15 minutes defending their quarter. The Bath players defended with the gusto we have seen all season and when Andy Beattie scored his try the game was all but over for Newcastle. A late try for Phil Dowson, after the Bath defence appeared to go to sleep, seemed to have secured a losing bonus point for the visitors but another Barkley penalty at the death, after Robbie Kydd had gone haring up the pitch before being fouled, broke the Geordie hearts.

Prior to the kick-off Bath stalwart, Dan Lyle, was presented  to the crowd to acknowledge his retirement and the big American was clearly touched by the reception he received from the supporters of what he said "will always be his club". Dan apologised for his short sojourn in the green, red and white and was quickly forgiven. At his peak with our club Dan Lyle was as good, if not better that all his commrades and he gave everything to the cause. You will always be welcome down at the Rec Dan even though you pulled on that tiger skin for a couple of games!

Let's have a look at the latest league table.

Scorers

Bath 20-10 Newcastle Tries: Beattie Tries: Dowson Cons: Walder Pens: Barkley 5 Pens: Walder