Bedford Town’s winning run in National League North is over after a 2-1 loss at newly promoted Spalding United on Saturday (12 September).
A goal either side of half-time from Spalding’s towering striker, Bartosz Cybulski was enough for one of the division’s newest sides after the returning Josh Castiglione had put the Eagles in front after 15 minutes.
Perhaps the division’s two surprise packages in the early stages of the season, Bedford Town, who started the day in fifth, travelled to Lincolnshire off the back of four straight wins, while Spalding began a spot behind them in sixth.
Spalding are now fourth after a double from Cybulski; the man who scored the extra time winner in last season’s play-off final against Real Bedford, allowing Spalding to reach step two football for the first time in their history.
Such were the happy Spalding memories from that day, the stadium announcer introduced the Eagles as “the real team from Bedford”, before consigning them to a first defeat in five games.
Bedford Town drop out of the play-off spots into eighth.
Eagles captain pounces early
Bedford Town captain, Josh Castiglione was back in the starting line-up after starting the Worksop victory on the bench, with David Hicks also returning, while there was space on the bench for new defensive signing, Tarik Gidaree.
The Eagles had also announced the return of T’Sharne Gallimore before kick off, but the British Virgin Islands international was not involved in the matchday squad.
Harry Smart’s men started well, with chances for Castiglione and George Moncur saved by Peter Crook in the Spalding goal, before a defensive calamity from Spalding gifted the Eagles the lead.
Castiglione pounced on a weak header back to the home goalkeeper, with Castiglione getting there before Crook to poke home an effort that rolled calmly into the net.
Crook may have been in trouble had the Bedford captain not scored, taking out Castiglione in his efforts to stop the mishap in front of him, but the referee took no action.
Bedford Town maintained their lead until the closing moments of the first half, when the lanky Cybulski stamped his mark on the encounter.
Ryan Doherty had dealt with the inevitable crosses from both flanks for the majority of the half, but Dion Sembie-Ferris’ latest square ball found Cybulski who poked home the equaliser at the near post.
Cybulski scores the winner
It took just four minutes of the second half for the game to turn on its head.
Ben Fowkes, formerly of Leiston, grabbed the assist as his cutback found the boot of Cybulski who lashed home what would turn out to be the winner.
Laurie Walker in the Bedford goal did well to deny the striker a hat-trick on the hour mark, but Bedford Town had rare chances to make it two apiece throughout an uneventful second half.
Crook saved from a Doherty header and a further Moncur shot, while the best chance for Bedford came in the first minute of added time as the Spalding shot stopper turned a Gyamfi strike round the post.
The 2-1 victory takes Spalding up to fourth on 17 points, while the division is led by a side who had spent last season in the relegation doldrums in Hereford.
They are three points clear of another side who spent all of last season towards the bottom in Oxford City, while Macclesfield, Spalding, Hebburn Town, South Shields and Buxton make up the top seven.
Bedford Town return to The Eyrie next Saturday (19 September) as they welcome King’s Lynn Town in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup.
