THIS was a sweet win for Borough against arch Midlands Division One rivals who beat them three times in league and cup action last season.

But the victory was marred somewhat by a serious injury to one of the Borough players.

Marius Andrijauskas was stretchered off 10 minutes from time with damaged knee ligaments and is likely to be out of action for several weeks.

And that is a major loss to the city side. The powerful Lithuanian flanker has managed to control his aggression this season and channel it in all the right areas.

He was voted player-of-the-month for September and the way he was going in this match at Fortress Fengate on Saturday, he was in the running for the October prize as well.

He made big hits, he took big hits and he was a big hit. His storming runs helped create two of Borough's four tries and he even managed to put shining lights like Jon Phillips, the former Northampton Saints' European Cup winner, and Fengate favourite Pete Brudnell in the shade.

Not that those two were disappointing - far from it. Phillips mastered matters up front with a combative air of authority and Brudnell, returning to the fray after injury as a second-half substitute, looked distinctly menacing.

Throw in a best display of the season by hooker and inspirational captain Paul Cook, and the always threatening presence of tricky trio Chris Kells, James Allen and Paul Humphrey behind the scrum, and it was easy to see how Borough turned a 15-7 deficit just after half-time into a comfortable victory.

With a gale force wind howling straight down the pitch, conditions were difficult. Kicking was never an option - even the deftest of chips saw the ball sail towards the cathedral - and it made for an entertaining game of running rugby.

Both sides did well - with and without the wind - but Borough did it just that little bit better.

They were asked to face the gale in the first half and looked to be turning round with a 7-3 advantage after scrum-half Humphrey drove over the line from close range and Duncan Low added the conversion.

But bang on the stroke of half-time Bedford's livewire winger Fernely Simmonds found enough room to squeeze over wide out and the conversion gave the visitors a 10-7 interval lead.

That became 15-7 soon after the restart but Borough refused to panic.

They settled down to dominate up front and provide enough quality possession for three more tries.

Low scored and converted the first after a great catch from a 25 drop-out by James Clarke and a forceful drive by Andrijauskas, and then Low crossed again after a thrust upfield by the forwards instigated by Brudnell.