BIRMINGHAM and Solihull Bees recorded their first win of the season with a 39-7 victory away at Stoke Old Boys.
Harry Garrett crossed twice while Brad Sinclair, Will Heath and Joe Rogers all touched down at Albert Gale Field with Archie Beddard adding 14 points from the kicking tee.
The result means Solihull sit eighth in the Counties 2 Midlands West (East) table.
With two Bees players – Pete Gordon and Mikey Essex – stuck in traffic before kick-off, team physio Jake Gadd came into the starting XV with head coach George Littlechild on the bench.
And the returning PJ Hatch turned his ankle in the warm-up resulting in further changes to the line-up just minutes before kick-off.
However, Stoke lost a player to the sin-bin after Brad Sinclair was taken out in the air trying to claim the kick-off.
And the Bees scored the game’s first try after just three minutes as Garrett touched down in the left corner with Beddard converting from the touchline.
Another yellow card, this time for a high tackle, saw Stoke briefly reduced to 14 players as Beddard kicked a penalty between the posts from 40-metres out.
And a fine solo try from Sinclair put the Bees into a commanding 15-point lead before Garrett scored his second of the game, after running almost half the length of the pitch, with Beddard adding the extras.
Stoke pounced on a Beddard mistake to score a converted try and reduce the deficit only for Heath to score under the posts on his league debut as Solihull secured a bonus point before the break.
The home side received a third yellow card in the second period and Rogers took full advantage to dart over with Beddard converting.
Beddard kicked a penalty from 40-metres out to move on to a 14-point individual haul as the Bees won for the first time this season.
Bees head coach Littlechild said: “This was an excellent win for the boys away from home and with a bonus point, some superb performance need to be noted.
“Jake Gadd, on debut for the Bees, having not played for two years, Will Heath on debut scoring a try, for Jack Shelton, for answering the call on Thursday to play and completing 80 minutes when expecting to be on the bench, and Jame Bow, expecting to be on the bench but having to play 70 minutes, due to the issues at the start, all brilliant performances under the circumstances.”
Birmingham and Solihull are next in action against Coalville on Saturday, September 28 with kick-off at 3pm at Hall Lane.
