The Eyrie crowd were treated to a goal fest on Saturday afternoon as Bedford Town smashed second bottom side Wantage Town 8-1.
Many had expected a simple afternoon for Gary Setchell’s team, but the ruthless nature of the victory has sent a statement to the chasing pack as Bedford Town remain top of Southern League Central Division One.
Will Summerfield opened the scoring after six minutes for the Eagles with a simple finish before Drew Richardson doubled the lead a quarter of an hour later.
Bedford Town were utterly dominant throughout the first half; their opponents barely getting out of their own half, with Tomlinson and Walker especially causing havoc.
However, the scoreline remained 2-0 at the half-time interval; a comfortable lead that could well have been five or six at the break.
373 fans at The Eyrie were treated to a clinical masterclass in the second half however, as the chances that went begging in the first half were dispatched as the darkness descended for Wantage.
Lewis Miccio, who would go on to claim a hat-trick, scored his first of the game, albeit with a stroke of luck as his cross would find its way over Kacper Kowalczyk in the Wantage goal.
Five minutes later, Miccio had two with a much more simple finish at the back post before Dan Walker made it 5-0 on the hour mark.
A scoreline such as this with the absence of Rene Howe on the scoresheet would have been an oddity, but Bedford Town’s star striker found the net via the penalty spot to make it 6-0 with twenty five minutes left.
Wantage did get their consolation goal; James Hammond finding a way past Alex Street before Lewis Miccio completed his hat trick with his fifth goal of the season.
An own goal from Aleksander Novakovic compounded the Wantage misery late on with the game finishing 8-1 and giving Bedford Town a timely goal difference boost at the top of the league.
“I didn’t expect to get eight goals”
Berkhamsted remain two points behind the Eagles with a game in hand following another tight 1-0 victory against Waltham Abbey.
Manager Gary Setchell was understandably delighted with his team’s performance and the clinical goal scoring his team showed:
“We’ve done a professional job today and we set about them early. We knew the first twenty minutes would be key, but I thought the lads were superb”
“We knew if they could get through the first twenty minutes 0-0, it gives them something to hang on to, but I expected us to dominate possession although I didn’t expect eight goals.”
Elsewhere, Kempston Rovers earned a valuable point at Kidlington; Brian Testolin’s goal for Rovers cancelled out by Kidlington’s Ryan Knight.
A late red card for Rovers’ Tremayne Charles put a dampener on proceedings, but the gap to the relegation zone now increases to five points.
Bedford Town face tenants Biggleswade FC on 27th December at The Eyrie, while Kempston Rovers travel to St Neots Town.
