Bedford Town’s star man, Leon Lobjoit was on the scoresheet twice as the Eagles survived a spirited Biggleswade Town comeback to win 3-2 at The Eyrie on Saturday afternoon.
Despite a hard-fought and diligent display from the Waders, it was Bedford Town who took the points and the plaudits thanks to a clincher from debutant, James Clifton.
The Eagles are now perched just one point below the playoff places heading into the fixture-heavy festive period.
Biggleswade Town remain bottom of Southern League Premier Central and are still the only team yet to hit double digits in points after seventeen games.
Misery has defined their season thus far with just one win in total and a meagre two points in the last two months, and they face an almighty battle to stay up, currently 11 points adrift of safety.
On the other hand, Bedford’s league form sheet coming into this one made for a more unpredictable read. Since the beginning of October, they had won two, lost four and drawn one, a run by no means synonymous with playoff contenders.
One of Biggleswade’s nine points this season did come against Bedford at the start of September, with the game ending 1-1 thanks to second half goals from Doherty and Lobjoit.
The first 11 minutes of this game made it clear that history was not to repeat itself.
Under the auspices of manager Jimmy Martin, Biggleswade Town set up very defensively in the opening exchanges, inviting Eagles pressure.
After just nine minutes the Waders’ deep-lying defence was penetrated.
Some masterful footwork on the left flank from Junior Gyamfi saw him work the ball to the byline where he fired it back across goal for Lobjoit, who found the back of the net from close range.
It was nothing short of a perfect start for Bircham’s men in this season’s second meeting between the two sides.
For Lobjoit, the wait for his brace would last just two minutes, though his second strike far superseded the first in terms of quality. Once again, Bedford’s threat emerged from the left wing, though this time it was James Clifton who reached the byline to cross.
Lobjoit brought down Clifton’s pass expertly before working a yard away from the defender and volleying past Jack Berman to double the Eagles’ advantage and draw level with Halesowen’s Kieren Donnelly at the top of this season’s goal-scoring charts.
After just eleven minutes the game appeared all but over at 2-0.
At risk of slipping further adrift at the bottom of the league table, the Waders needed a swift response, and despite not threatening Adam Harrison in the Bedford goal whatsoever in the first 25 minutes, a seed of hope was planted by Daniel Izekor.
A whipped delivery from a corner was met by Barsa Mirtahmasebi at the back post for Biggleswade and finished off in true poacher’s fashion by number nine, Izekor.
It was by no means an idyllic goal – tapped in from three yards out – but it gave Biggleswade an incentive to be slightly more progressive in possession.
However, it wasn’t until the second forty-five that Biggleswade Town would truly lay siege to Harrison’s goal.
After delivering a succession of crosses into the box all to no avail, a stroke of luck eventually fell the way of the Waders just eight minutes into the half.
A shot from Izekor in the centre of the box following a teasing cross from Guimdo Florian was adjudged to have struck Carl Mensah’s hand by the referee who pointed to the spot.
Their captain Ryan Doherty had the job of dispatching from 12 yards, which he managed as the ball squirmed through Adam Harrison and painstakingly past the line to draw the game level at 2-2.
Although it may have come about in questionable circumstances, Biggleswade’s equaliser had been coming on the balance of the play despite their ostensible inability to attack in the first half.
The Waders’ comeback very nearly came to a thrilling climax when Michael Simpson hit the woodwork with a curling effort from almost thirty yards out; a certain contender goal of the season had it whipped just inside the left-hand post.
Debutant Clifton makes immediate impact
Twenty minutes from time, Biggleswade would come to rue their missed opportunities as the Eagles snatched all three points in ruthless style.
After seldom creating a chance all half, full back Sam Brown delivered a looping corner to the back post which was nodded in by new signing, James Clifton.
With the wind in their backs, Bedford pushed on for another, turning the screw with relative ease. The closest they came was a clever strike at the near post from Lobjoit which forced an equally intelligent save from Berman in goal.
Biggleswade Town gave an excellent account of themselves from start to finish but just didn’t have enough attacking prowess to seal a point against opposition who they were promoted ahead of in last season’s Southern League Division One Central.
Next up for the Eagles is a westward trek to Stourbridge for something of a playoff crunch match.
The two sides sit on equal point tallies in seventh and eighth position respectively, though Stourbridge have a game in hand on Bedford Town.
