Early season in-form striker, Tyrone Marsh scored two but was later sent off as Bedford Town gained their first win of the new National League North season with a gutsy 3-1 victory over AFC Telford on another incident-packed night at The Eyrie.
Marsh, who now has five goals in three league games, scored an audacious free kick followed by a penalty but saw an excellent performance end on a sour note as he was controversially sent off in second-half stoppage time.
Bedford Town came into their first midweek home game with a draw and a defeat to their name in the early stages of their first National League North campaign since 2006/2007, and faced up against familiar foes in Telford who joined them in promotion last season.
They were deserving of their win, led by Bedford-born Tyrone Marsh who has started the season in scintillating form.
The Eagles were out of the traps like greyhounds, and almost took the lead inside three minutes as a Junior Gyamfi effort crashed off the upright, but it didn’t take long for the deadlock to be broken.
A disastrous back pass from Jahdahn Fridye-Harper left his goalkeeper well short, and it was left for former Telford man, Ellis Brown to slot home past a beleaguered Alfie Brooks in the visiting goal to give Bedford Town the lead after five minutes.
Telford’s only opportunities of a first half otherwise devoid of goalmouth action fell for Ola Lawal, who saw one effort from a tight angle blaze over, before curling another shot wide, but otherwise it was Lee Bircham’s men who dominated the first 45 minutes.
The Eagles could have been home and dry at the end of the first half; a good chance for Shaun Jeffers was scuffed into the hands of Brooks before captain, Ryan Blake sent a header over the bar.
A second goal looked likely, and Marsh looked as if he would grab it five minutes before the half-time whistle, only to be denied by an offside flag, with a mute penalty shout up the other end summing up a dismal first half for the Ducks.
Magic Marsh
Telford manager, Kevin Wilkin was celebrating signing a new two-year contract earlier in the day, but had obviously given his men a stark half-time team talk as they came out all guns blazing in the second period.
Main man, Matthew Stenson had cut a frustrated figure in the first half, but was immediately in the action from the off in the second as the number nine – who scored 31 league goals last season – produced a good save from Wilks in the Bedford goal.
The first of what would eventually be three red cards for Bedford Town was then given to assistant manager, Tony Joyce for allegedly throwing a ball on to the pitch, in what would be the first spark in a second half full of controversial decisions.
An ambitious effort from Remi Walker was then kept out by Wilks, before a moment of magic from Marsh put Bedford in control.
A free-kick was awarded on the right hand side, about 35 yards from goal, and while the whole ground was anticipating a cross into the box, Marsh had other ideas as he powered a shot at Brooks’ near post and saw the ball fly in.
While the extraordinary effort was still being lauded by the Eagles fans in the stands, the second spark hit on the far side as Stenson went down clutching his face, before Bedford Town’s Jack McDowell was duly sent off.
There didn’t seem to be much argument from the home players, but changes were immediately made to a more defensive formation, and Telford hit back thanks to their goal machine.
Wilks had done well to keep out an initial effort, but a second corner floated in and was met by Stenson who glanced home into the bottom corner to give Telford a lifeline.
Three points secured ahead of double header
It may have felt like a long twenty minutes for Bedford to survive, but when Josh Tomlinson was bundled over off the ball in the penalty area up the other end, the referee pointed to the spot and Marsh made no mistake to restore the Eagles’ two-goal lead.
Despite their man advantage, Telford’s lack of attacking punch was summed up by a lone 25-yard effort from Stenson late on, and they could not lay a hand on a stoic Bedford defence, which was punished further by a second red card in the 93rd minute.
Marsh, about to be substituted, was deemed to have taken too long to leave the field and was given a second yellow card, reducing Bedford Town to nine men for the remainder and – more crucially – leaving the in-form man with a match ban.
It was a dampener on an otherwise excellent Bedford Town performance that sees them rise to 10th after three league games of the season, ahead of a tough bank holiday double header.
On Saturday (23 August), Bedford Town return to Merseyside to face Marine – a club who made headlines in 2021, when they reached the third round of the FA Cup, losing at home to Tottenham – before hosting early pace setters, South Shields at The Eyrie two days later.
