By Paul Smith 
Two tries apiece from wingers Jimmy Martin and Ryan Hutler steered Coventry to a convincing 45-7 home win over Bedford Blues.
Cov’s pack controlled large parts of a first half during which they banked a bonus point while building a 24-point interval advantage.
Bedford scored first after the break and the Blues then applied plenty of pressure during a spell when Cov were without yellow-card victim Tiki Nayalo.
But the home side dug deep to produce some impressive defence then went on to finish with a flourish thanks to arch-poacher Hutler who twice produced neat finishes in the right corner.
This result extends Cov’s winning run against Bedford to eight games and maintains a winning streak against their East Midlands’ rivals at the Butts stretching back to 2008.
Coventry were quick out of the blocks and following a powerful Daf Tiueti break a well-timed Liam Richman pass sent Matt Kvesic racing over for a try which their Australian no.10 converted.
The hosts then declined an easy three-pointer under the Bedford posts only to turn possession over in contact.
Cov’s second try owed much to forward power which pinned the visitors in their own 22 through a number of phases before Richman’s well-placed kick-pass left Martin with an easy finish.
And the home side’s left-winger had his second score five minutes later when he scooped up a loose ball and cantered over following a turnover won by Billy Nairau’s huge hit.
Richman again converted and with the penalty count against the visitors mounting referee Hamish Smales showed Blues’ no.8 Fred Tuilagi a yellow card early in the second quarter.
Cov quickly took advantage of their numerical superiority to claim a bonus point try to which Aaron Hinckley applied the finishing touch after 14 home players joined a lineout maul.
Bedford registered little as an attacking force before the break although former Cov favourite Louis James twice leaped highest to claim impressively in front of the packed main stand.
But it was the visitors who struck first at the start of the second half through prop Oisin Heffernan who was driven over from close-range after Cov were caught inside their own 22 when attempting to counter from deep.
Another former Blue-and-White favourite Will Maisey added the conversion only for Cov to bounce straight back from the kick-off when Martin hacked ahead and almost won the race to the loose ball.
However, this only delayed Cov’s fifth try by a few seconds as Mr Smales went under the posts for a penalty try after the hosts got a nudge on at the ensuing scrum.
The penalty count against the home side had mounted through the third quarter and it was no surprise when Nayalo was despatched to the sin-bin.
Some stirring defence then kept the Cov line intact and when they got the chance to counter a 70-metre move ended with Hutler recovering a precise Oli Morris chip to race to the corner to claim a score which Richman improved.
Replacement Charlie Robson then escaped from behind his own line and seemed certain to claim a full-length score until denied by a last-gasp tap tackle.
But the Cov faithful were sent home happy as Hutler swivelled and touched down their team’s seventh score to which Richman again added the extras.
Coventry: Davies (Robson 52); Hutler, Morris, Tiueti, Martin; Richman, Barton (Lane 63); Trinder (Warren 65), Ma’asi (Poole 55), Nairau (Johnson 55); Nkwocha (Anstey 59), Nayalo; Hinkley, Ball (Tyas 55), Kvesic (Okeke 65)
Bedford Blues: Brown; Worley (Cousins 63), Le Bourgeois, Matavesi (Titherington 63), Garside; Maisey, Day (Lennon 65); Conway (Jack 48), Fish (Langton 48), Heffernan (O’Connor 48); Smith (Kerry 60, Frost; Brown, Arthur, Tuilagi (Benson 35)
Referee: Hamish Smales
Half-Time: Coventry Rugby 24-0 Bedford Blues
Attendance: 3035
Scorers:
Coventry:
Tries: Kvesic (2), Martin (13) (18) Hinkley (26), Pen Try (48), Hutler (68) (78)
Conversions: Richman (2) (18) (68) (78)
Bedford Blues:
Tries: Heffernan (44)
Conversions: Maisey (44)
