A 94th-minute penalty from Josh Allen helped save Real Bedford blushes on Tuesday night (29 September) as Rob Sinclair’s side survived a spirited comeback by Leiston to eventually win 3-2.
The dramatic win is Real’s ninth win in nine in Southern League Premier Central and they remain three points clear of Bury Town in what are still the early stages of the campaign.
The Pirates’ league form is in stark contrast to their cup fortunes having already been knocked out of the Bedfordshire Senior Cup and the FA Trophy; the latter by Isthmian League side, Wingate and Finchley on Saturday (26 September).
Read: Wingate and Finchley stun the Pirates as Real Bedford crash out of the FA Trophy
Where their season’s loyalties lie is obvious, and their target of promotion to the National League setup looks well set after another league victory, albeit with a late scare.
All five goals came in a thrilling second half, and included an eight-minute riposte from a Leiston side who have caused Real issues in recent seasons.
The Suffolk-based club won both fixtures 1-0 last season, but they were unable to repeat the trick, despite an excellent second half comeback that almost led to Real’s first dropped points of the league campaign.
King saves penalty in goalless first half
A series of early corners for Real Bedford set the tone for the first half, before a pair of Jordan Ponticelli efforts narrowly missed the target as the home side started much the better.
Adam Mills blazed Leiston’s first shot of the night over the bar, while Willie Clemons followed suit before missing a glorious opportunity to put the visitors ahead from the penalty spot.
Jude Frostick won the penalty for Leiston, but Clemons’ spot kick was saved by Craig King in what proved to be a first half dominated by excellent goalkeeping.
At the other end, Callum Robinson denied Conor Tee, before pulling off a fine double save from Tee and Ponticelli before CJ Kiala’s third effort was cleared off the line by Seb Dunbar.
But while the goalkeepers were on top in the first 45 minutes, the attackers would have the last laugh as the goals starting flying in in the second half.
Tee stunner but Leiston peg the Pirates back
Craig King made another important save as Mills was again denied from a Fraser Alexander corner in the early stages of the second half, but from the hour mark, the game turned into a goal fest.
Ben Stevens was the supplier of the first of five second half goals; chipping a delicious ball to the back post that found the head of Sam Cartwright who headed it back across goal and into the bottom corner to give Real the lead.
Ten minutes later, the game was seemingly put to bed, as Conor Tee received the ball in the left channel and curled an unstoppable shot into the top corner, leaving the otherwise excellent Robinson to stand and watch.
However, to their enormous credit, Leiston mounted a fearless comeback.
Man of the match, King was forced into another excellent save from Alexander after Ben Batho’s original shot was blocked, but a minute later, Leiston halved the deficit as Noel Aitkens headed home a cross from substitute, Harvey Sayers.
And the comeback was seemingly complete after 84 minutes, with Mills finally getting his goal, latching on to a great ball from another sub in Joe Henman before finding the back of the net.
Yet, there was still time for more drama, as CJ Kiala earned a penalty in the fourth and final minute of stoppage time, leaving Josh Allen to send the goalkeeper the wrong way to steal another three points.
Attention now turns back to cup action, with Real Bedford hoping to cause an upset of their own with victory at National League South club, Chesham United in the third qualifying round of the FA Cup on Saturday (3 October).
Their next league game is a tough one, as they welcome highly fancied Bromsgrove Sporting to the Ledger Stadium the following weekend, a side who are currently five points off the pace in third.
