Josh Allen scored twice as Real Bedford made it two wins from two in the early stages of the new Southern League Premier Central season with a 2-0 victory at potential title rivals, Peterborough Sports on Tuesday night (11 August).
Allen’s nine-minute double salvo at the end of the first half leaves the Pirates top of the league in what are still the fledglings of a new campaign, with Bury Town the only other side to have won both of their opening fixtures.
But in what may be a key stat come April 2027, Real have now beaten both sides relegated down to step three from National League North; six points that may prove to be the difference at the business end of a mammoth season.
Read: Real Bedford battle back to entertaining opening day win against Leamington
Former Eagles can’t stop the Pirates
Rob Sinclair, who celebrated his 200th game in charge in the league opener against Leamington, named an unchanged line-up three days later at Sports’ PIMS Park.
For Sports, their squad featured a number of former Bedford Town players, including new captain, Carl Mensah and Leon Lobjoit up front, while Jevani Brown and Lewis Green started on the bench.
Sam Brown and Lewis Hilliard – who has played for both Real Bedford and Bedford Town – were not involved in the matchday squad.
None of them were able to stop the Pirates, who went in to half-time two goals in front and never looked like relinquishing that lead as Graham Drury’s side endured a frustrating evening.
An early chance for Josh Allen was saved by Thomas Jackson in the Peterborough goal, while Lobjoit saw an effort deflected wide before Luca Miller narrowly missed the target for the hosts.
CJ Kiala almost grabbed his first league goal of the season, only to see his effort headed clear off the line by Jordan Cooke, before Real’s King was called into action at the other end, tipping over an excellent effort from Harry Vince.
Then came Allen’s brace, which ended up being the only goals of the night.
The first for last season’s top scorer came as Saturday’s man of the match, Jordan Ponticelli stole the ball from an orange shirt and played in Allen, who took it around the onrushing Jackson to place home into an empty net.
Allen’s second came in calm fashion after the build up including a number of green away shirts, and gave Sinclair’s side a handsome buffer for the second half.
Real two from two
Real started the second half on the front foot, with Stevens firing narrowly over in the opening moments, before Allen was denied a hat trick from close range.
Peterborough chances fell into the hands of Lobjoit, who continued to miss the target, along with Ben Beresford who perhaps had the hosts’ best chance of the second half, only to head wide from close range.
Jackson saved further strikes from Stevens, Tee and substitute, Archie Jones in a good second half for Sports’ shot stopper, while Connor Wood hit the post for Peterborough Sports late on to cap a miserable night for the hosts.
Real Bedford are back in action on Saturday (15 August) as they travel to Banbury United in Oxfordshire, a side who also won last night, beating one of the division’s new setups in Racing Club Warwick.
