Bedford Town’s stunning rollercoaster season continued into the new calendar year as Lee Bircham’s men completed a league double over Bishop’s Stortford in winning 2-1 at Woodside Park on New Year’s Day.
First half strikes from former Tottenham academy player, Dequane Wilson-Braithwaite and Ryan Blake were enough to see the Eagles home for their fifth straight league victory, leaving them just four points off the top of Southern League Premier Central.
Leon Lobjoit opened the scoring in the reverse fixture in August – also a 2-1 Bedford Town win – but had to settle for a place on the bench in Hertfordshire as Eddie Panter continued up front after an impressive performance against Halesowen on Saturday (28 December).
Read: Panter double sees Bedford Town rise to fourth with win over ten-man Halesowen
However, it was an unfamiliar name who opened the scoring after just seven minutes.
Ryan Blake, who would go on to score the winner, found himself in space on the left wing and his cross missed everyone to find Wilson-Braithwaite who had stolen in at the back post to slot home.
The defender only joined the Eagles in October from Royston Town but he kicked off what would become another famous Eagles win.
Stortford had their moments in the first half despite a couple of enforced changes through injury, but Adam Harrison continued his fine form in the Eagles’ goal to keep Cole Dasilva at bay before Bedford doubled their lead just before half-time.
Blake turned from provider to goalscorer in picking up the pieces after the home side failed to clear a Scott Thomas delivery, and quick as a flash, Bedford Town went into the break with a two goal advantage.
In increasingly boggy conditions, that had seen a number of non-league games around the country postponed, Bishop’s Stortford spent the majority of the second half looking for a route back in, although it was the home goalkeeper who saw more action.
Elliot Krasniqi did well to keep the home side in the contest in keeping out a lively Panter on two occasions, and his saves were rewarded when Stortford halved the deficit with a little under twenty minutes remaining.
It was Bradley Russell who managed to surge through the middle of the Bedford defence and lift a cute finish over Harrison to make it 2-1, but they couldn’t find the equaliser despite a late chance for Rashawn Scott.
Opinion: How far can the Eagles fly?
2 January 2023 feels like a lifetime ago.
On that day, a 3-2 loss at Royston would begin a streak of 20 games without a win at this level, ending with Bedford Town finishing bottom at step three for an immediate relegation back to the eighth tier.
That team picked up just two league points in the second half of the season, resulting in a mass exodus from The Eyrie and the side starting from scratch under former Leighton Town boss, Lee Bircham and just a single player on the books.
Most would argue that returning to Southern League Premier Central at the first time of asking despite that complete reset was a feat in itself, but how many Bedford Town fans would realistically have put them second in the seventh tier table at the end of New Year’s Day 2025?
My bet is none.
I frequently ask Lee Bircham whether the ambitions have changed; whether they can start dreaming of another play-off campaign, but so far the answer remains steadfast: “Survival is all that matters”.
With 40 points already on the board, survival looks fairly certain but there are a few faces around The Eyrie beginning to dream that they may have what it takes to return to National League football for the first time in a little under two decades.
On this form, it is a possibility.
Bedford Town’s next two games are at The Eyrie as they host mid-table, Spalding United on Saturday 4 January before welcoming AFC Telford the following weekend.
You can purchase tickets for both clashes here.
All information correct at time of publication. Any late submission of results may have affected league placings since.
