Bedford Town once again came from behind to battle back to a 2-1 victory against struggling Hitchin Town in front of a bumper crowd at The Eyrie on Boxing Day.
Leon Lobjoit’s second half winner was enough for Lee Bircham’s side to keep up the pace on the play-off spots in Southern League Premier Central.
After the first forty five minutes, it looked to be turning into an afternoon of ultimate frustration for the Eagles.
Their opponents were second-bottom Hitchin Town, searching for just their fifth league win of the season, and they started the game much the better and fashioned open a number of chances in the first twenty minutes.
It took just two minutes for the first shot on Adam Harrison’s goal as Brad Bell forced the Bedford shot stopper into a smart save at his near post before Ciaren Jones floated a dangerous looking free kick over the crossbar moments later.
Harrison was called into action again with 15 minutes on the clock as Brad Dixon-Smith nabbed the ball off the toes of Ryan Blake before careering forward and seeing his effort palmed wide.
Dan Stokoe also had a good effort sail marginally wide as Hitchin pressed on the front foot, and the away side took a deserved lead before the half hour mark.
They once again broke down the right hand side, and the ball broke for Stokoe on the penalty spot only for his effort to take a huge deflection off Carl Mensah, wrong footing Harrison and looping into the net.
The centre back was credited with the own goal, but it could have been far worse for the home side had Josh Mullins not pulled off a sensational block at the far post with the goal gaping for Dixon-Smith on the stroke of half time.
Bedford Town’s only first half effort came courtesy of a Ryan Blake header that was tipped over by Seb Stacey in the Hitchin goal as the home side were left discouraged after a tetchy first half display.
Lobjoit seals another comeback
Lee Bircham may well have given his men some strong words in the Eyrie changing rooms, but the pattern of the game continued at the start of the second half as Hitchin had another excellent chance to double their lead immediately.
Casey Shann was dispossessed in dangerous territory by Stokoe, who released Bell on the left wing and his pass inside found Harry Titchmarsh whose effort was excellently blocked by a scrambling Mensah.
Shann was hooked moments later, and the couple of changes made by Bircham seemed to spur Bedford Town into action, but the equaliser on 55 minutes seemingly came out of nowhere.
Elliot Simmons’ corner floated all the way to the back post to a waiting Lewis Green who side footed a volley goalwards and despite a Hitchin man on the line, the ball found its way to the back of the net for the leveller.
Leon Lobjoit nearly flipped the home side’s fortunes immediately but his header floated wide before Bell had another opportunity up the other end with the game finely poised.
However, Bedford Town’s number ten made no mistake when gifted with a tap-in with twenty minutes remaining, thanks to an enterprising run by substitute, Eddie Panter and it was a 2-1 lead the Eagles would not give up.
Hitchin Town did have a glorious opportunity to equalise with ten minutes to go but Henry Snee’s free header from eight yards out wasn’t strong enough to beat Harrison, before Bedford Town managed the game expertly towards the final whistle.
With the clock deep into injury time, there was still time for some more drama as Kye Tearle was given two yellow cards inside thirty seconds – both for dissent – to see red before the full-time whistle was blown on another Eyrie victory for Bedford Town.
With the 1pm kick-off, Bedford Town temporarily jump into the play-off spots although the teams around them kick off at 3pm. Either way, it secures a tenth league win for Bedford Town and continues a sensational season so far.
They won’t be able to celebrate for too long as the festive football schedule leaves them 48 hours of recovery before they’re back at The Eyrie to host second placed, Halesowen Town on Saturday 28 December.
You can buy tickets for that clash here.
