Graeme Tomlinson’s Bedford Town side have struggled in recent times and fell to their fourth straight loss at The Eyrie on Tuesday night, losing 3-0 to fellow relegation candidates, Stratford Town.
Frustrations from the Eagles faithful have been aimed at not being able to keep a lead in recent weeks but a poor performance added to a convincing score line last night as Bedford Town fell back into the relegation places of Southern League Premier Central.
The opening throws of the encounter saw Bedford on top for the first fifteen minutes, but half chances from set pieces were not taken and it paid as Stratford took the lead ten minutes before the interval.
A smart Stratford move was completed by Jamie Molyneux and it was a lead 20th-placed Stratford did not surrender.
“It was relegation fodder”
A Junior Gyamfi header almost immediately after the Stratford goal was the best chance the Eagles could muster before half-time but things got worse five minutes into the second half as a catastrophic mistake from Lewis Elsom doubled the visitors’ lead.
A Joe Butterworth back pass rolled under the foot of the Eagles’ new signing to gift the visitors a 2-0 lead and with Andre Wright scoring a third late on, the damage was completed with Stratford securing a huge win in their own battle against relegation.
Straight-talking Tomlinson didn’t hold back in his post-match interview, labelling the performance as “predictable” and especially critical of the last half hour as his team attempted to battle back into the game.
“If we’d have got the first goal after half-time, we’d have been in the ascendancy but we concede the second with a mistake.
“From there, we revert to giving it to the goalkeeper to hit up field and become predictable and the game becomes relegation fodder.
“In the last half hour, we were absolutely terrible.”
The loss leaves Bedford Town in 19th place on goal difference – just three points above Stratford – but crucially having played more games than all of the teams around them.
Saturday’s performance away from home at Stourbridge wasn’t much better, despite Bedford Town taking the lead in the Midlands courtesy of Rene Howe.
A red card for Charley Sanders changed the complexion of the game though, and a second yellow card for the centre back allowed Stourbridge back into the game from the penalty spot.
Joseph Hull’s winner condemned the Eagles to another loss – their third in a row from a losing position – all of which compounds the misery for those at Bedford Town who will look for a change in fortunes as they host Needham Market at the Eyrie on Saturday.
Market are also in a relegation battle, sitting in 17th place on 32 points but have four games in hand over Bedford Town with games becoming must-win for Tomlinson’s side with tough assignments against Coalville and Nuneaton Borough to kick off March.
Tickets for Saturday’s home game against Needham Market are available here.
