Bedford Town extended their unbeaten run to three games with a 2-2 draw against Banbury Utd at The Eyrie on Saturday (25 January) but went top of Southern League Premier Central courtesy of defeats for teams around them.
Halesowen Town, AFC Telford, Kettering Town and Harborough Town all lost as two goals in four minutes for Leon Lobjoit and Lewis Hilliard helped the Eagles to a point in a cagey affair against a Banbury side in a relegation scrap.
Banbury’s visit followed two narrow away victories on the bounce for Bircham’s side, marked by two goal-of-the-season contenders from the league’s top scorer, Leon Lobjoit.
Despite dire financial trouble plaguing the Puritans at the moment, Banbury came into this having not lost since the turn of the year.
Head-to-head form also favoured the away side, with one of Bedford’s eight losses this season coming at Spencer Stadium.
It is unavoidable that some games of football simply aren’t destined to be nailbiters, though not many are as devoid of entertainment as the first half of this one was.
While both sides showed promising patterns, goalmouth action was scarce to the extreme.
In fact, the fashion in which the deadlock was broken aptly reflected the insipid nature of the game. After 30 minutes. and not a single shot at Jameson Horlick’s goal, Banbury had a corner whipped in by Dan Jarvis.
Following a brilliant save from Horlick to deny Prosser’s initial effort, Claudio Dias was on sight to tap in the rebound and provide the Puritans with a priceless lead.
Two quick strikes not enough for Eagles
As the half went on, Lee Bircham struggled more and more to contain his frustration at the Eagles’ inability to break down Banbury’s stubborn backline, with many of his players getting an earful about their performance levels.
Determined not to start the second half in the same way that they had endured the first, the Eagles re-ascended the pitch with a frenetic intensity to their play, and it took just two minutes for them to reap their reward.
Following a trademark Sam Brown long throw-in, the ball was worked back out to the Bedford number three who found Joshua Mullins.
His venomous effort was beaten away by Jack Harding but no further than Leon Lobjoit, who headed home the equaliser on the rebound to boost his league tally this season to seventeen.
Once Bircham’s men had exploded into life, they showed no signs of stopping, grabbing a second just four short minutes after the first.
This time it was courtesy of a corner, which once half-cleared by a Banbury head, was fired back in on the volley by new signing, Lewis Hilliard to put the Eagles ahead for the first time in the game.
That goal has seen Bedford Town climb to the top of the goalscoring charts this league season, netting 50 in 27 matches.
Despite the best efforts of Bedford Town’s new-look backline, their lead was extinguished just ten minutes after they took it.
The goal stemmed from the Banbury left with a teasing Dan Jarvis cross bundled home by Jaanai Gordon-Hutton to restore parity.
Banbury looked the more likely to snatch all three points in the last half an hour, with the introduction of Sydney Ibie symbolising their desire to sit in and play long when the opportunity presented itself.
An outstanding save from Luton Town loanee Horlick, following a free-kick that was touched goalwards by Nantwi-Ofosu, made sure Bedford were able to keep their point intact and avoid replicating their late heartbreak against Telford.
Flurry of away games to come
The full-time whistle and accompanying result incited annoyance in both dugouts with Bedford missing a chance to create a meaningful gap at the top and Banbury now staring down the barrel of a relegation scrap.
A Tuesday evening trek awaits the Eagles next as Telford host a top-of-the-table six-pointer at the SEAH stadium on Tuesday (28 January).
This one promises to be tough as Telford have lost just two home games all season and is the first of three successive away games for Bedford Town, who also travel to Barwell and Royston before they’re back at The Eyrie on 8 February to face Bromsgrove Sporting.
