BIRMINGHAM and Solihull Bees suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time since the start of the season after losing 21-7 at home to Barkers Butts.
Bees scored their only try in the first half through Deaglan O’Brien at Portway as league leaders Barkers secured a 10th win from 11 matches.
The result means Solihull sit sixth in the Counties 2 Midlands West (East) table.
Bees were only able to name a 17-player squad due to unavailability and injury with Lou Lupoli standing in as coach.
Barkers scored the game’s first try after just five minutes as a handling error in the Bees line allowed the visitors to score under the posts before easily kicking the conversion.
Bees responded with a try of their own when O’Brien won a 30-yard foot race to reach Cormach Papirnik’s kick ahead and touch down with Lewis Edwards adding the extras.
However, Barkers restored their lead with the final play of the first half, scoring under the posts from a well-worked move to take a seven-point advantage into the break.
Solihull made a strong start to the second period but were unable to convert pressure into points against a well-organised Barkers defence.
After another period of sustained pressure, Bees coughed up possession and Barkers collected the loose ball before sprinting down the pitch for another converted try which proved the only score of the half.
Despite the defeat, the scoreline was a big improvement on Solihull’s 65-0 defeat at Barkers in the second week of the season.
Birmingham and Solihull are next in action away at Woodrush on Saturday, December 16 with kick-off at 2.15pm at Icknield Street.
