Recap
Bedford Town 2-1 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report
26/8/24
Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division
Hamish Arnold
Former Blue Rob Howard scored an 87th minute winner as Bedford Town beat Bishop’s Stortford 2-1 on Bank Holiday Monday. The Eagles, currently playing home games at Hitchin Town’s Top Field, equalised through Leon Lobjoit after Kian Harness’ opener for Stortford, before the late winner. Bedford move up to 10th in the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division, while the Blues are 16th after five games.
Lobjoit had the first shot of the match, a low left footed effort from the edge of the box which went narrowly wide. In the 11th minute, Harness netted his first Stortford goal, Jack Taylor’s low strike was deflected into his path, and the forward’s looping volley beat Oliver Bosworth and flew into the net. It was also the Blues’ 1000th goal at Step Three of Non-League football, since the creation of the Alliance Premier League (now the National League). Ryan Blake headed wide from a right wing free kick, before Jack Roberts won the ball back on the edge of the Stortford area following a Bedford long throw, he played a through ball to Harness, he cut in from the right side of the box but his left-footed effort was saved. Lobjoit’s attempted chip was tipped over the bar by Binns, and Cole Dasilva’s low strike from 25-yards was deflected to Bosworth. Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo saw his shot saved by Binns’ feet, the rebound was blocked and a chipped pass was volleyed goalwards by Blake but Binns saved. Binns pushed away Lewis Green’s goalbound header, before the same player’s header hit the woodwork from Kyle Connolly’s right wing corner, the rebound effort was caught by Binns. Roberts’ curling shot looked to be going inside the post but Bosworth scrambled across to save, before Blake’s header hit the base of the post and Brad Russell cleared. The long throw-in from the left wasn’t dealt with and Lobjoit stabbed it home from close range. Connor Tomlinson twice squandered chances to take the lead in first half injury time, first with a long range effort, then a volley following a corner.
HT 1-1
Roberts’ shot from the right side of the box forced Bosworth into a full stretch diving save, and Harness had the keeper beaten with a powerful strike from range, taking the ball down from a lofted pass. Harness then cushioned the ball off his chest from a long ball into the path of Roberts but he dragged his first time shot wide of the target. Blake volleyed over the bar from close range from a left wing corner, before a cross was won in the air by Soulya-Osekanongo, but his downward header was claimed by Binns. The Stortford goalkeeper was also equal to a long range low strike from Elliot Simmons, and Greene volleyed over the bar from a long throw-in. Howard, who played 14 times for the Blues last season without scoring, popped up at the far post from a right wing cross and curled the ball into the bottom right corner. Mark Haines ventured forward into injury time, but Bedford captain Carl Mensah was equal to his headed effort, clearing it off the line as Stortford pushed for a last gasp equaliser, but were not able to find one.
FT 2-1
The Blues host Cornard United in FA Cup First Qualifying Round action on Saturday 31 August.
TEAMS
Bedford Town XI
1 Oliver Bosworth
2 Joshua Flanagan
3 Samuel Brown
4 Lewis Green
5 Carl Mensah (c) (Yellow card 85’)
6 Kyle Connolly (Howard 62’)
7 Connor Tomlinson (Mongoy 62’)
8 Elliot Simmons
9 Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo
10 Leon Lobjoit (Goal 44’) (Hall 90+1’)
Subs
12 Robert Hall
14 Robert Howard (Goal 87’)
15 Jordy Mongoy
16 Joshua Boorn
17 Charlie Smith
Bishop’s Stortford XI
1 Charlie Binns
2 Cole Dasilva (Warner-Eley 46’)
4 Olu Oluwatimilehin
5 Jake Thompson (c)
9 Kian Harness (Goal 11’)
10 Brad Russell (Moutawafiq 75’)
11 Jack Roberts (Yellow card 85’)
14 Isa Rotimi
15 Charlie Castle (Halford 46’)
16 Jaden Ogwuazor (Haines 46’)
20 Jack Taylor (Assist 11’) (Amu 65’)
Subs
3 Luke Warner-Eley
6 Mark Haines
8 Sami Moutawafiq
18 Greg Halford
19 Erin Amu
Attendance 425