Real Bedford twice came from behind to eventually beat Aylesbury United 3-2 at the Ledger Stadium on Tuesday night (25 February) to keep chasing Berkhamsted at arm’s length in the race for the Southern League Central Division One title.
Joey Evans’ second half penalty was the clincher against an Aylesbury side who defended valiantly, but couldn’t keep out Real for ninety minutes as Rob Sinclair’s team remain three points clear at the top.
This game had been rearranged from the Saturday before Christmas, where Real Bedford were 2-0 up and coasting towards victory when the floodlights went out and forced an abandonment, much to the annoyance of all those associated with the Pirates.
Read: Downpours and a floodlight failure scupper Bedford’s Southern League games
To say Aylesbury put up a better fight this time is an understatement, as they defended stoically for the vast majority of the game, and even gave Real Bedford a big scare.
Aylesbury counter attack causes problems
The pattern of the game became apparent very early on as Bedford set out their stall in the Aylesbury half, and rarely moved, but despite early efforts for Isaac Galliford and Jack Morrell, the visitors were the ones to strike first.
Against the run of play, Luqman Kassim broke clear down the right wing and squared a pinpoint cross to Aylesbury debutant, Maksymilian Jarzabek who smashed home past Tyler McGregor in the home goal.
Joey Evans spurned a glorious chance to equalise almost immediately from six yards out, but Real were quick to create another opportunity and his attacking compatriot, Galliford made no mistake.
The left winger was played in down the left flank by Ben Stevens and his shot squeezed through Jack Hopwood in the Aylesbury goal and into the bottom corner to restore parity.
Many may have expected normal order to resume, but the Aylesbury pace on the counter attack was proving to be critical and another swift move put them back in front within minutes.
A quick Hopwood goal kick found the impressive Tom Cove in the left channel and his perfectly timed through ball found Kassim who found the far corner with aplomb to restore Aylesbury’s advantage.
The Ducks quickly returned to defending a slender lead, assisted when Evans sent another header over the bar and with the half-time whistle blowing, Aylesbury found themselves 2-1 ahead.
Attack vs defence
The second half was played almost exclusively in Aylesbury territory but to the visitors’ credit, they were proving difficult to break down; Real restricted to snap shots from Josh Setchell and Stevens before Drew Richardson’s deflected effort was parried wide.
An equalising goal did however feel inevitable, and it appeared just after the hour mark as Aylesbury failed to clear a corner properly and the ball found its way to Setchell who scrambled it home.
Off Real went in search of a much-needed winner, and it arrived as Joey Evans galloped into the penalty area and was brought down by a green shirt, with the referee pointing to the spot.
Evans picked himself up to send the goalkeeper the wrong way – his 14th league goal in his last 11 league games – to seal all three points for Real Bedford, who remain three points clear at the top with a game in hand.
It knocked the stuffing out of the visitors, who could not break clear to trouble a lonely looking McGregor in the Real goal but they did do well to keep Real from scoring again as late efforts for substitutes, Tom Hitchcock and Eniola Agemoh-Davies were kept out.
With Berkhamsted impressively beating play-off contenders, Hadley 4-1 in Hertfordshire, it was imperative Rob Sinclair’s side kept up their winning form to keep them at bay ahead of a huge game in just under a month’s time at Broadwater.
They now have a fortnight to recharge before travelling to Hadley on Saturday 8 March, in a month that includes six fixtures – including the crunch game at Berkhamsted on 22 March – that could prove to be huge in the destination of the eighth tier title.
