Tyrone Marsh’s 18th and 19th league goals of the season were not enough for Bedford Town to gain a much-needed win in National League North as they drew 2-2 at the division’s basement club, Leamington on Boxing Day.
It’s the Eagles’ third draw in four league games as they continue to add to their points tally in 18th, but may have felt they should have come away with all three after leading through Marsh’s double either side of half-time.
The draw is also Leamington’s first point in National League North since 25 October, having stopped a slide of seven straight league defeats, as both clubs face a 2026 full of nervy moments and key clashes towards the bottom of step two.
Leamington face the toughest challenge of all, as they are now seven points from safety, and they nearly started Boxing Day’s encounter in the worst possible way as right back Dan Meredith missed a cross, helping put the ball on a plate for Junior Gyamfi in the opening moments.
Eddie Brearey in the home goal was alert to the danger, expertly keeping out the initial effort as well as the rebound, before Greg Sandiford – who extended his loan at The Eyrie until the end of the season in the week – saw a curled strike kept out in easier fashion.
Leamington’s first true foray forward brought the game’s first goal, as Carl Mensah was controversially adjudged to have felled Miro Pais in the area, with Seb Thompson sending Ashmore the wrong way to put the hosts in front.
They had half chances to double their lead, only for Ashmore to be on hand to keep them out, and the Brakes were made to pay when Bedford Town were given a penalty of their own on the half hour mark, with Pais conceding the spot kick.
Tyrone Marsh duly despatched to level the scores, despite Brearey nearly getting a hand to it, as both sides went into half-time at a goal apiece.
Bedford’s main man was back in business again on the hour mark.
Just a minute after a heart-stopping moment at the other end for Ashmore, in which the Eagles number one was nearly caught out by a huge bobble, Marsh turned the game on its head with his second goal of the afternoon.
Latching on to a pass from Gyamfi, Marsh unleashed a terrific effort from the corner of the area to give Bedford Town a 2-1 lead to try and hold on to.
It took just six minutes for that challenge to end, as Thompson struck back with an equally fantastic strike to gain his second of the encounter, levelling the tie again at 2-2.
Both sides had their chances to snatch all three points, with Thompson front and centre of most of the hosts’ attacking play, whilst Brearey was once again on hand to deny Callum Ebanks and then Greg Taylor as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes.
Thankfully for Bedford fans, the painful run of last minute goals seems to have run dry in recent weeks, with both sides having to settle for a point apiece.
The Eagles are back on home turf in the next seven days, as they welcome King’s Lynn Town to The Eyrie on Tuesday (30 December) before a difficult first assignment of 2026, as promotion-chasing AFC Fylde come to town next Saturday (3 January).
