Josh Allen added two more goals to his season’s tally, as Real Bedford coasted past Bishop’s Stortford on Easter Monday.
Allen’s first half strike was supplemented by a second late on, with Conor Tee and Harry Gray’s first for the club sandwiched in between, as Real beat Stortford 4-0 on a sunny afternoon at the Ledger Stadium.
Both teams can lay claim to success in this fixture this season; with Stortford knocking Real Bedford out of the FA Cup in the first qualifying round back in September, while the Pirates won the league’s reverse fixture 5-0 away from home in February.
Real benefited from a red card for Bishop’s goalkeeper, Adam Hayton in that game, but the fixture was just as one-sided this time, with Rob Sinclair’s team barely making it out of second gear.
Read: Real Bedford hit five against ten-man Bishop’s Stortford
Real control the entirety
In a tie that resembled more of a training session than a high-octane Southern League clash, Real Bedford began with a lot of possession and didn’t let go of it as they dominated large parts of the encounter.
Josh Allen finished with two goals, but could have had at least four, as chances rained down on Hayton’s goal.
Conor Tee, who also saw many attempts on goal throughout the game, gained Real’s first chance only to narrowly slice wide, before Allen saw two efforts saved by Hayton inside the first ten minutes.
The first goal eventually came after 22 minutes, as a reverse pass from Archie Jones found Ben Stevens in the left channel, who slotted it back across goal, finding Allen who diverted the ball into the bottom corner.
It could have been two just moments after, as Setchell was allowed to coast into the area, but his powerful effort found the midriff of Hayton, while Stortford’s only chance of a frustrating opening period fell to Jack Smith, whose shot was blocked.
Jack Davies, Jones and Allen all had further efforts, but Real couldn’t find the breathing space they required, going into half-time just a single goal to the good.
The lone goal advantage is always a dangerous one in the world of football, and Bishop’s Stortford almost made the home side pay within a minute of the restart.
Obi Onyeagwara, on a sub to try and inject some life into the visitors’ attacks, squared the ball to Aaron Greene, but the striker scuffed his shot with a good sight on King’s goal, squandering the best opportunity they would ever get.
Indeed, King didn’t have to make a single save all game, as Real continued to attack, and the second goal came six minutes into the second half.
Preparing for the play-offs
It came in similar fashion to the first, as Josh Setchell was released down the right wing, making good ground to square it across the face of goal where Tee was waiting to tap home the simplest of finishes.
Charlie Castle’s inventive volley was as close to the target as Stortford would get on the hour mark, but with the game petering out to an expected close, Real added salt to their wounds.
Harry Gray scored his first for the club, finding himself on the end of an Allen cross to power home a left-footed finish, while the roles were reversed for the fourth, with Allen finally completing a brace.
It confirmed one of Real’s more comfortable victories in their Southern League season, cementing third place, although the real fight is taking place in behind them.
Harborough Town – 5-1 victors against Banbury United on Easter Monday – need just one more victory to all but confirm the Southern League Premier Central title, leaving Spalding to join Real Bedford in the play-offs.
There are two other spots, currently taken up by Halesowen and Redditch United, although Kettering Town and Quorn are just a point off them, while Needham Market also have an outside chance. Worcester City can also mathematically make the equation.
Real Bedford are back in league action on Saturday (11 April), as they travel to Redditch, before two home games in four days against Leiston and Alvechurch.
