Bedford Town’s late comeback from 4-1 down was not enough to seal a dramatic draw against high-flying, Merthyr Town at The Eyrie as the Welsh side held on for a 4-3 win on Saturday (8 November).
In a high octane clash between two of last season’s Southern League champions, it was the Welshmen who came out on top in a game full of magic moments and mistakes that saw seven goals scored in front of 1,012 fans at The Eyrie.
Bedford Town, now in 15th, have rightly gained plaudits for more than holding their own in the sixth tier, only losing a five game unbeaten run on Tuesday night (4 November) with a tight loss at Kidderminster Harriers.
Read: “I’m proud of these boys every week” says Bircham as Bedford Town fall to high-flying Kidderminster
However, a side who have outgunned them this season are Merthyr Town; a club who drew the shortest of short straws by landing in National League North despite winning Southern League Premier South last season.
Merthyr are now fifth in the league after their ninth win of the campaign, although they nearly threw it away in what was a dramatic finish to proceedings at The Eyrie after a frantic game that saw seven goals scored.
Three goals in first ten minutes
This encounter began at speed and the deadlock was broken inside four minutes as the first chance of the game brought the first goal courtesy of National League North’s leading goalscorer, Ricardo Rees, who would go on to score a brace inside ten minutes.
Will Spiers broke down the right channel and played an excellent through ball to Rees who lifted the ball over Joe Wright in the Bedford goal to give the visitors an early advantage.
Within moments, Spiers went from hero to villain, as in the 6th minute, Bedford Town were level.
Spiers inexplicably passed the ball straight to Josh Phillips in acres of space, and while he was nearly dispossessed by a backtracking aqua shirt, he composed himself to slot past Australian shot stopper, Jaimie Cogman.
Tyrone Marsh, who would go on to score twice in the closing stages, had an excellent chance to turn the game on its head, but couldn’t get Junior Gyamfi’s cross out of his feet, before Merthyr escaped down the other end.
As quick as a flash, the ball was floated out to Rees – this time in the left channel – and the number ten cut inside and curled a wonderful effort into Wright’s bottom corner to restore the Martyrs’ lead.
Phillips could have equalised again after latching on to an Ellis Brown through ball, only to be stopped by an excellent last ditch tackle from Merthyr captain, Matthew Harris as the end-to-end action continued.
Chances kept coming for both sides; Cawley Cox forced Wright into a save at his near post before Gyamfi and Tripp fired narrowly wide from distance, with the crowd voicing their approval at the entertainment.
Cogman almost gifted the Eagles a leveller on the brink of half-time, failing to deal with a cross into the box, but the ball landed at the feet of an away shirt before Marsh could pounce, as Merthyr scrambled clear to hold on with a one goal margin.
Clinical Merthyr open up lead
Bedford Town manager, Lee Bircham rejigged his team at half time, bringing Ryan Blackman on for Josh Dawodu, but the early moments were dominated by the away side as Wright kept the Eagles in it with two fine saves.
Tom Handley would be the man denied on both occasions; a header from the edge of the area was palmed clear by the Barnet loanee, before Handley unleashed a rasping effort from the resulting corner that was heading in only for Wright to tip it over the crossbar.
Handley would also curl another effort over as Merthyr turned the screw, and they earned some breathing space with a third on the hour mark as Spiers once again turned provider, whipping a cross in to Cawley Cox who gained the slightest of touches to divert home.
Three minutes later, they had their fourth after excellent build up play again found Spiers, who darted inside and laid it off to Lewys Twamley whose effort squirmed in off the post, with Bedford keeper Wright disappointed not to keep it out.
It should have been the clincher for Merthyr, and while the Eagles had a goal disallowed for offside after 75 minutes, they didn’t offer any inkling of getting back into the game before the referee awarded a free kick twenty yards out with the clock approaching the red.
Tyrone Marsh duly despatched it into the top corner with the ease of a penalty kick, and with seven minutes of injury time indicated, Bedford had an outside chance of pulling off a shock.
Shaun Jeffers’ downward header was kept out by Cogman, while Panter met a cross from the right wing, looping an effort over the goalkeeper only to see it drift wide of the far post as Bedford continued to press.
They got to within one when Callum Tripp’s cross saw a scramble on the goal line, allowing Marsh to bury his 13th league goal of the season, but there was not enough time to mount a further attack as the final whistle saved Merthyr blushes.
Despite their frantic closing moments, Merthyr were good value for their win, especially in a second half where Twamley, Rees and Cole Jarvis caused the Bedford back line a lot of problems as the Welsh side deservedly continue to mount an unlikely play-off challenge.
For Bedford Town, back-to-back losses mean they drop to 15th in National League North, but they are still performing above expectations at step two of the non-league pyramid.
After 49 days with only one home game, Bedford Town now face two more in the next seven days, welcoming Buxton to The Eyrie on Tuesday night (11 November), before Northern Premier League Midlands side, Anstey Nomads visit in the second round of the FA Trophy.
