Bishop’s Stortford 1-0 Real Bedford Match Report

September 6, 2025

127

2/9/25

Emirates FA Cup First Qualifying Round Replay

Hamish Arnold

For the second year in a row, Bishop’s Stortford will travel to Hemel Hempstead Town in the Second Qualifying Round of the Emirates FA Cup after a 1-0 replay win at home against Real Bedford. The Blues held the Pirates to a 1-1 draw on Saturday but claimed the victory at Woodside Park on Tuesday night. The Tudors will enter the Emirates FA Cup against Stortford, and currently sit fifth in Enterprise National League South with 12 points from seven matches.

Shaheim Ward dribbled into the box from the right wing and played a cut back to Josh Allen in the middle, he controlled the ball and shot on target but Adam Hayton saved with his feet. Obi Onyeagwara led a counter attack with a probing run on the left wing, he cut in-field to shoot with his right foot but he curled wide. Allen shielded the ball from Mark Haines with his back to goal, he turned and shot from a tight angle from the left side of the box, and Hayton flicked the ball away with his left foot. After an early substitution for each side, Saleem Akanbi had strayed offside from Brad Russell’s through ball at the end of the first half.

HT 0-0

Jack Smith’s right wing free kick was headed over the bar by Akanbi, before ex-Blues midfielder Archie Jones fired wide from close range from a right wing cut back. Jake Thompson headed wide from Smith’s next free kick, floated in from the right side and substitute Isaac Galliford shot over the bar after a fine passing move made some space for him to shoot on the edge of the box. Haines left a pass back to Hayton short and Allen intercepted and passed to Jones in the middle, but Smith tackled him before he could shoot and Thompson cleared. From the next attack, Akanbi dribbled into the right side of the box and passed to Russell on the edge, who worked some space and fired into the top left corner. Tommy Lethbridge’s low cross to Akanbi was cut out, but the loose ball fell to Presley Evans, his low shot was saved by Tyler McGregor diving to his right. Hayton made a fine low save to deny Galliford as he ran through on goal in a central position, before Galliford’s lofted through ball picked out Ben Weyman, but he fired over the bar from the left side of the box. Hayton denied Gallifrod with a superb double save, rushing out to block the rebound and spreading his arms wide to force a corner, which was well defended. Jack Morrell’s deep cross from the left was headed over the bar before Joey Evans fouled Hayton from a miscued clearance which was looping towards goal, before a shot through a crowded box was saved by an unsighted Hayton, diving to his right to preserve his clean sheet and secure passage into the next round.

FT 1-0

TEAMS

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Adam HAYTON

2 Tommy LETHBRIDGE

3 Leon DAVIES

5 Jake THOMPSON

6 Mark HAINES (c)

7 Obi ONYEAGWARA (Evans 36’)

10 Brad RUSSELL (Goal 61’) (Forde 83’)

12 Fabio VIRCIGLIO

14 Jack SMITH

19 Saleem AKANBI (Assist 61’)

20 Luka CHALWELL (Yellow card 26’)

Subs

13 Toby ATKINS

5 Jake THOMPSON

9 Nahum MELVIN-LAMBERT

15 Harry FORDE

17 Presley EVANS

18 Michael CLARKE

Real Bedford XI

1 Tyler McGREGOR

2 Drew RICHARDSON (Yellow card 26’)

3 Jack MORRELL

5 Sam CARTWRIGHT

6 Lee WATKINS (c) (Yellow card 42’)

8 Archie JONES (Evans 62’)

10 Ben STEVENS

11 Conor TEE (Galliford 38’)

14 Ben WEYMAN (Agemoh-Davies 90’)

17 Shaheim WARD

19 Josh ALLEN (Hitchcock 62’)

Subs

9 Joey EVANS

12 Tom HITCHCOCK

15 Ty WARD

16 Isaac GALLIFORD

18 Eniola AGEMOH-DAVIES

20 Malachi SOILE

22 Brett LONGDEN

Attendance 387