Real Bedford made it six wins from six in Southern League Premier Central on bank holiday Monday (31 August), but were given an almighty scare by visiting Leighton Town in what was a chaotic ending at the Ledger Stadium.
A brace from Josh Allen and another excellent strike from Conor Tee looked to be sending Rob Sinclair’s side to a routine home victory, only for Leighton to battle back in the second half to create a grandstand finish.
When the final whistle blew with the scoreline at 3-2 to Real Bedford, they were relieved to be leaving the pitch after a turbulent ending which almost saw Leighton complete the most remarkable of comebacks.
The Pirates headed into this bank holiday clash top of Southern League Premier Central following five wins out of five, including a 2-0 away win just 48 hours before at Halesowen Town.
Read: Kiala and Allen seal Real Bedford’s fifth win in five at Halesowen
Last season’s Central Division One champions, Leighton started as the underdogs despite a solid beginning to life at step three with two wins and two draws from their opening five games to slot into mid table.
At the half-time whistle, the gulf in class looked to be substantial as Real Bedford opened up a three-goal lead.
Allen continues fine form with double
The first 20 minutes were in stark contrast to the final 20 as neither side fashioned much in the way of goalmouth action, but the first real chance after the 21st minute saw the game’s first goal.
It was the result of excellent interplay between CJ Kiala and Ben Stevens in the right channel, before the ball was squared into the path of Josh Allen who squeezed it home at the near post.
Despite the goal, chances were still few and far between, although Bedford were beginning to get much more of the ball, and while Stevens was kept out by Carlos Simeon in the Leighton goal, two goals in three minutes put Real heavily in the ascendency.
Conor Tee, a winger who so often cuts inside from the left wing, did the same to punish Leighton, finding the net via a touch from Simeon and the far post, and within two minutes, the lead had extended further.
Moments after Sam Cartwright had seen a header cleared off the line by Avan Jones, the ball was recycled through the centre, where a neat touch from Jordan Ponticelli found Allen who poked it home at the second time of asking for his seventh goal in six games.
The 3-0 half-time scoreline was perhaps a touch harsh on an industrious Leighton defence, but they would spring a surprise few were expecting in an entertaining second half full of controversy.
King lucky not to see red
With an hour on the clock, the game had turned into a glorified training session, with the expectation that Real would extend their lead further, but to their credit, Leighton came back fighting and almost pulled off a shock comeback.
A pair of minor flashpoints involving Drew Richardson and Jones, along with CJ Kiala and Luke Pyman seemed to inject some vigour into the visitors, and they used it to start exerting pressure on an otherwise relaxed Real defence.
What looked like a mere consolation came after 72 minutes after substitute, Archie Jones lost the ball on the edge of the area, allowing Jack Sayell the space to find Stefan Vukoje who fired into the bottom corner.
Such was Real’s possession, few were expecting proceedings to turn into major trouble, but five minutes later, Leighton scored another.
Former Bedford man, Eniola Agemoh-Davies was given the freedom of the town down the left wing, powering a flat ball across the face of goal, finding his captain, Kyal Williams who smashed home from a yard to make it 3-2.
And when Sam Cartwright’s brave last ditch header prevented Vukoje from nodding in an unlikely equaliser just a minute later, Real suddenly realised they were in a scrap.
Leighton captain, Williams was sent off in the first minute of added time for a second yellow card, but there was still time for drama as the away side kept pressing.
Jones also had an effort kept out by King late on, but the major talking point came when Real Bedford goalkeeper came rushing out to meet Agemoh-Davies, taking out the attacker 30 yards from goal.
He was lucky to escape with just a yellow card, much to the disgust of the light blue-clad Leighton players, with the resulting free kick flying narrowly wide being the final act of what became a pulsating second half.
Despite the scare, the 3-2 win is Real’s sixth from six league games and they remain top of the division, although Bury Town also have a perfect record thanks to a 94th-minute winner in a seven-goal thriller against Leiston.
Real Bedford return to the Ledger Stadium on Saturday (5 September) as they begin their FA Cup run in the first qualifying round against Southern League Central Division One side, Royston Town.
