Real Bedford hit seven past a beleaguered Beaconsfield Town on Saturday to go nine points clear at the top of Southern League Central Division One, gaining one hand on a third successive league title.
Four goals from a hungry Joey Evans were supplemented by strikes for Ben Stevens, Drew Richardson and Jack Snelus as Real took their tally of league goals for the season from 108 to 115 in ruthless fashion with a 7-1 win at the Ledger Stadium.
Real Bedford are now the UK’s leading goal scorers in non-league football, from step one to step four.
Beaconsfield had proven themselves to be a dangerous outfit when they beat Real’s nearest challengers, Berkhamsted almost a fortnight ago, but they were left all at sea by a Pirates side who were as clinical as they were ruthless.
Berkhamsted were not in action, meaning any victory would take Real Bedford into an almost unassailable league lead of nine points, and they did just that with a cold-blooded assuredness that see them take one step closer to another title.
Evans back in the goals
One man who has helped propel his team towards the title is number nine Joey Evans, whose last 21 league goals have come in just 16 games and four more this afternoon took his tally to 31 for the season in a brutal display of goalscoring.
After he had hit the post in the opening moments, Evans gained the first goal of the game, pouncing on a rebound from a long range Watkins effort, before scoring his second with another rebound after his own effort again bounced off the post.
Drew Richardson scored Real’s third as he was quickest to react as the ball bounced around the Beaconsfield box from a Galliford corner before Ben Stevens scored the fourth before the half-time whistle.
Evans could have had a first-half hat-trick had he not unselfishly squared a pass to Archie Jones whose effort was saved by a shell-shocked Matt Keane in the visiting goal, but the game was done and dusted by the interval as Real led 4-0.
The goals kept flooding in into the second half with Evans gaining a deserved hat-trick after just 50 minutes following a wonderful team move and he had his fourth before the hour mark as he latched on to a delicious through ball from Stevens to slot home.
Beaconsfield did get a consolation goal courtesy of Manuchim Oke-William, but the seventh and final strike was left for Real Bedford substitute, Jack Snelus – his first goal in Real colours since the opening game of the season after recovering from a serious knee injury.
Tyler McGregor was also forced into a smart stop late on, but it was merely goalkeeping practice for him as the game otherwise petered out, leaving Real Bedford on 115 league goals for the season, 13 of them coming in the last two games.
It capped the perfect afternoon for Rob Sinclair and his men, who now enjoy a sizable cushion over second placed, Berkhamsted with just five league games to go, the first of which is at Aylesbury United on 5 April.
