The opening game of BYAFA Finals day took place under a murky, drab sky at the newly named Tetley's Stadium, Dewsbury.
The Cardinals, using lineman Karl Adams at Quarterback to bludgeon his way downfield, took the lead on their first drive when he blundered into the endzone off left tackle with a host of Exile defenders hanging onto him. Chris Hunt as expected split the uprights for the extra two as Bath moved eight points clear.
With William Wagstaffe reinstated to his quarterback role the Cardinals eased a further six points clear when he hit Simon Hallissey from thirty yards as the latter entered the endzone. For once the Hunt shanked his kick wide left, leaving an untroubled Bath side 14 - 0 ahead at the end of the quarter.
In the second period Nick Hooper fell on a Kent fumble to give the Cardinals possession on the Kent thirteen-yard line but a resolute Exile defense forced Bath back and out of Hunt's field goal range. A cruel roughing the kicker cal gave the West Country outfit the ball back but still the Exiles refused to yield forcing Bath to punt again. Hallissey then scooped up another fumble to take the ball back twenty-yards only for the score to be called back. Robbie Britton killed off the Bath surge intercepting a Wagstaffe wayward pass.
Wagstaffe made amends on the next drive tossing a ball high to the right hand of the end zone where Kyle Latore leapt to claw the ball virtually out of the cornerback's hand. Hunt was once again unsuccessful with the kick as the sides entered the locker room with the Cardinals in a strong 20 - 0 lead.
Defenses took a hold on the third quarter with a swarming Bath defense almost to a man descending on the Kent Quarterback in the end zone to notch a further two points with a safety. In the fourth Wagstaffe hit Latore for another score from fourteen yards and with Hunt regain his accuracy the game was as good as over with Bath moving out to 30 - 0. With virtually the last play of the game Chris Taylor pulled in a fine interception and sped back thirty-two yards to seal the game at 36 - 0 to the Cardinals.
