Real Bedford 1-1 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report 

Real Bedford 1-1 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report 

30/8/25

Emirates FA Cup First Qualifying Round

Hamish Arnold

Fabio Virciglio forced an FA Cup First Qualifying Round replay with an equalising goal at Real Bedford on Saturday. The 1-1 draw means the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central strugglers travel to Woodside Park on Tuesday for a place in the Second Qualifying Round. For Stortford, it ends the 100% winning start to the season but Steve Castle’s side remain unbeaten across five completed matches.

Luka Chalwell had the first chance of the match, Nahum Melvin-Lambert’s through ball found him in the right side of the box, but his shot was cleared off the line after dribbling past goalkeeper Tyler McGregor. Josh Allen gave the Pirates the lead in the 17th minute when a long ball in the right channel was controlled by the winger, he dribbled into the box and found the bottom left corner from a tight angle. Saleem Akanbi dribbled into the box and tried to pick out Chalwell with a cut back but McGregor cut out the pass. In a similar chance to his goal, Allen’s shot from the right side of the box was cleared off the line by Tommy Lethbridge before a tackle by Sam Cartwright on Akanbi pushed the ball to Virciglio, but his first time shot was blocked by the defender. Isaac Galliford curled a shot wide after cutting in off the right wing, before a teasing cross by Ben Steven missed all his team-mates and went behind for a goal kick. McGregor saved Melvin-Lambert’s shot from a tight angle after Russell found a gap to play a through ball, beforeRussell crossed from deep to the far post where Virciglio controlled the ball but hooked it over the bar from an overhead kick. Virciglio slid Akanbi through on goal but his chipped effort went narrowly wide.

HT 1-0

The Blues equalised 12 minutes into the second half, when Akanbi controlled a long ball on his chest before passing to Virciglio, he picked out the bottom right corner from 18 yards. Lethbridge hooked a cross back into the six yard box from the bye-line, but the goats cleared before Akanbi could finish. Melvin-Labert headed over the bar from a right wing corner. Presley Evans fired over the bar before T’aizo Marcel Dilaver crossed from the left Chalwell played it back across but neither Ecans or Malvin-Lambert could poach in to finish from close range.

FT 1-1

TEAMS

Real Bedford XI

1 Tyler McGregor

2 Drew Richardson (c) (Yellow card 73′)

3 Jack Morrell

5 Sam Cartwright

10 Ben Stevens

11 Conor Tee

15 Ty Ward (Yellow card 60′) (Watkins 65′)

16 Isaac Galliford (Yellow card 68′) (Evans 70′)

17 Shaheim Ward

19 Josh Allen (Goal 17′) (Yellow card 69′)

22 Brett Longden (Yellow card 80′)

Subs

6 Lee Watkins

9 Joey Evans

12 Tom Hitchcock

14 Ben Weyman

18 Eniola Agemoh-Davies

20 Malachi Soile

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Adam Hayton

2 Tommy Lethbridge (Haines 88’)

3 Leon Davies

5 Jake Thompson (c)

9 Nahum Melvin-Lambert

10 Brad Russell (Yellow card 73′) (Marcel-Dilaver 74’)

12 Fabio Virciglio (Goal 57′)

14 Jack Smith

16 Jaden Ogwuazor

19 Saleem Akanbi (Yellow card 55′) (Assist 57’) (Evans 71’)

20 Luka Chalwell

Subs

4 Rehan Field

6 Mark Haines

7 Obi Onyeagwara

8 T’aizo Marcel-Dilaver

15 Harry Forde

17 Presley Evans (Yellow card 76′)

18 Charlie Boatwright-Collier

Attendance 280