Real Bedford scored their biggest win of the league season so far, beating ten-man Bishop’s Stortford 5-0 in Southern League Premier Central on Tuesday night (17 February), with Pirates playmaker, Ben Stevens bagging a hat-trick.
Real were helped by a 44th minute red card for home goalkeeper, Adam Hayton, with Stortford having to play over half the game with an attacker in goal as they had not named a replacement keeper on the bench.
The storming win is also Real Bedford’s seventh in a row as they keep their outside chances of automatic promotion alive, but cementing a play-off spot in doing so.
They now have an eight point buffer over Needham Market, who sit just outside the play-off places, but Rob Sinclair’s side do still have games in hand on the majority of sides around them.
Bishop’s Stortford, who knocked Real Bedford out of the FA Cup at the beginning of September, presented a typically robust challenge, but their hopes were derailed by a red card for goalkeeper, Hayton as Real ran away with the second half.
Read: Real Bedford knocked out of the FA Cup by solitary Stortford strike
Early penalty save the best it gets for Hayton
The bombardment on the Bishops’ goal began as early as the second minute, when Archie Jones was brought down in the penalty area, only for Conor Tee’s spot kick to be palmed away by Hayton.
It was an excellent start to the half for the home goalkeeper, but it would end in the worst possible fashion.
Real spent the majority of the opening period battering the Bishops’ goal with efforts from Josh Setchell, Lewis Hilliard, Stevens and a trio of strikes from Tee all denied or missing the target as the Pirates chased a breakthrough.
The deadlock was finally broken after 31 minutes, with Stevens gaining the first of a hat trick, as he diverted home a Jones cross; a finish that resembled Saturday’s Tee tap in that separated Real and Stratford Town at the Ledger Stadium.
Read: Tee tap in earns Real Bedford scrappy win over Stratford
Stevenage loanee, Frank Norris was the only man to test King in the Real goal, after being played in by Charlie Johnson, but King made a smart stop to deny the striker, who joined Stortford last Thursday.
It was to be Johnson’s final act as an outfield player as he was called upon to take the gloves soon after.
Hayton was sent off for a professional foul after taking out Jack Davies rushing out for the ball, and with Johnson having to deputise in goal, it was all downhill in the second half.
Stevens completes hat trick
The damage began escalating as early as the 47th minute.
Johnson’s clearance from the edge of his own area had no distance, and it fell straight to Stevens who chipped in a wonderful effort with ease from 35 yards to double the lead.
Drew Richardson bundled home a third from a corner, despite home protestations that Johnson had both hands on the ball, while Stevens completed his hat trick after 65 minutes with a delicious free kick into the bottom corner.
Tom Hitchcock, on as a sub, scored with his first touch to make it five with 20 minutes left on the clock, but while Hitchcock, Stevens, Rio Deall and Isaac Galliford all squandered chances to make it six late on, it mattered not as Real sauntered home to three points.
Real’s run of away games continues this Saturday (21 February) as they travel to relegation threatened, Stourbridge looking for eight wins in a row, before a Tuesday night trip to Alvechurch on 24 February.
