Real Bedford suffered their third league defeat of the season, stretching their run of winless games in all competitions to seven, after a 2-0 home defeat to Redditch United in Southern League Premier Central on Saturday (6 September).
The realities of step three are beginning to hit home for Rob Sinclair’s side, after they failed to find the net for the third straight league game as they whimpered to a comfortable home loss against the Reds at the Ledger Stadium.
After suffering a midweek FA Cup exit in Hertfordshire at Bishop’s Stortford, the focus returned to league action in which Real have made a stuttering start to life at step three, although the schedule for their opening five games at this level has been a difficult one.
Read: Real Bedford knocked out of the FA Cup by solitary Stortford strike
An opening day victory against Spalding United has been their only win this season, with defeats against Halesowen, Kettering Town and now Redditch interspersed with two goalless draws.
In scoring 129 league goals in winning at step four last season, goals have suddenly been hard to come by in the opening month of the new campaign.
It took twenty minutes for their latest game, at home to ninth-placed Redditch, to kick into life as Robbie Bunn’s effort from distance flew just wide of the top right corner, before Tyler Bruck’s goal was disallowed for offside.
Aram Soleman and right back, Joel Shambrook also narrowly missed the target as the visitors began to turn the screw, and their persistence was rewarded with two quick-fire first half strikes.
After Jack Morrell’s downward header was kept out in a rare foray forward for the Pirates, Bunn was on hand at the other end to sweep home Danny King’s cross to give the away side a deserved lead.
The second came on the cusp of the break, as Redditch broke off the back of a stifled handball appeal for Real.
Soleman’s delightful pass with the outside of his boot let loose Bruck who made amends for his disallowed goal by making no mistake with his second effort to put Real on the back foot and 2-0 down at half time.
Real open up late chances but to no avail
The second half began in tame fashion, and it took until the 65th minute for Real Bedford to open up any opportunities as substitutes, Josh Setchell and Joey Evans began to make some progress.
Setchell’s effort hit the side netting, before he turned provider for Evans, but his cross just evaded the number nine as Real’s frustrating afternoon was summed up in a single incident.
By this point, the home side were seeing far more of the ball but Redditch had set up their defence resolutely, and were rarely troubled until the final whistle.
Tyrese Warmington in the Redditch goal did well to keep out a late Josh Allen strike that looked goal bound, before a late shot from Evans was straight at the goalkeeper to sum up a fairly dismal ninety minutes for Real Bedford.
The only saving grace from today is that Rob Sinclair and his men don’t have to wait long to make amends, as they are back at the Ledger Stadium on Tuesday night (9 September) as they host Bury Town, who were themselves 2-0 victors at Stamford on Saturday.
