Bedford Town bounced back from a dour midweek performance at Telford to beat Barwell 1-0 thanks to a second half winner from substitute, Bruno Andrade in Southern League Premier Central.
The Eagles remain second in a highly congested top half of the division after coming out on top in what was sometimes a cagey and scrappy affair at Kirkby Road in Leicestershire.
Bedford Town’s 6-2 midweek loss could have derailed a side who have been this season’s surprise package in the Southern League but Lee Bircham’s return to the dugout reinstalled some stability and with it, another slender but no less important three points.
Read: Bedford Town humbled at new league leaders Telford
Barwell, who beat Bedford Town 3-1 at The Eyrie back in October, are in a relegation fight and despite showing glimpses of their attacking threat, led by 40-year old former Reading and Middlesborough striker Leroy Lita, they left empty handed.
The game was one of few clear cut opportunities; Eddie Panter once again leading the line in the absence of Leon Lobjoit, with Town’s outside chances falling to the Bedford number nine.
His strike in the opening moments flew wide, before no Eagles player was on the end of his enterprising cross half way through the first half, shortly after Jahdhan Fridye-Harper saw an effort fly high and wide for the home side.
Andrade comes off the bench to secure three points
The second half followed much the same pattern, although Barwell’s Ethan Hill – who would later be sent off in injury time – saw a deflected effort hit the post but that is as close as the home side got to breaking the deadlock.
For Bedford, efforts from Junior Gyamfi and Sydney Ibie were denied by former Eagles shot stopper, Ollie Bosworth before Barwell enjoyed a sustained period of pressure that included an effort for Brady Hickey.
The winning moment came on 73 minutes as Ibie released Bruno Andrade down the right flank against the run of play, with the substitute floating into the penalty area and slotting the ball past Bosworth to score the game’s first and ultimately, only goal.
Further goal bound efforts from Ibie and Ryan Blake were kept out as the Eagles pressed for a second, but it wasn’t until injury time that Barwell threatened an equaliser as Hill’s effort sailed narrowly wide.
It would be Ethan Hill who capped a poor day for the side battling against relegation as he was sent off deep into injury time for abusive language towards the referee, but Lee Bircham’s men would not care as they come back to Bedford with all three points.
Bedford Town are back in action on Tuesday night (4 February) as they travel to Royston Town to face them for the fourth time this season in a rearranged league fixture from December.
