Bishop’s Stortford 1-2 Bedford Town Match Report 

Bishop’s Stortford 1-2 Bedford Town Match Report

1/1/25

Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division

Hamish Arnold

Bedford Town scored two first half goals as they completed a league double over Bishop’s Stortford on New Year’s Day in the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division. Brad Russell scored in the second half for Stortford, but defeat moves the Eagles up to third, while the Blues are in 13th.

A low cross from the left was deflected out to Edward Panter on the edge of the box, but his low strike went wide of the right post. Dequane Wilson-Braithwaite opened the scoring in the seventh minute, firing home from close range at the back post from a left wing cross into the six yard box. Adam Harrison raced out to the corner flag to clear a loose ball, but only as far as Cole Dasilva in midfield, whose shot was on target but the goalkeeper scrambled back to save. Brad Russell’s right wing cutback was missed by Rashawn Scott in the middle, and Presley Evans missed the target from near the penalty spot. Just as the Blues looked likely to find an equaliser before the break, the Eagles increased their lead. Three minutes from half time, captain Ryan Blake poked in at the near post, with Stortford unable to clear a left wing cross.

HT 0-2

Goal chances in the second half were few and far between until the 73rd minute when Elliot Krasniqi forced Panter wide and saved the shot from a tight angle. The Blues cleared the resulting corner, and forced a mistake from the visitors while in possession in the box – a loose touch from Carl Mensah was pounced upon by Russell, who chipped Harrison in no man’s land off his line. Lewis Green’s deep cross nearly crept in at Krasniqi’s far post, but the Tottenham Hotspur loanee managed to parry the ball, and Edward Gyamfi shot wide from range. Panter fired wide from the right side of the box, before Scott cut in off the right wing, but his left footed effort went off target. Panter forced a superb close range stop from Krasniqi with a left footed shot from the right side of the box in second half injury time, but the hosts couldn’t find a late equaliser.

FT 1-2

The Blues travel to Alvechurch on Saturday 4 January and host Spalding United on Saturday 11 January.

TEAMS

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Elliot KRASNIQI

2 Cole DASILVA

3 Luke WARNER-ELEY (Haines 40’)

5 Jake THOMPSON (c)

9 Nahum MELVIN-LAMBERT (Bennett 46’)

10 Brad RUSSELL (Goal 74’)

12 Fabio VIRCIGLIO

16 Jaden OGWUAZOR

17 Presley EVANS (Carless 83’)

18 Erin AMU (Akinbulumo 12’)

20 Rashawn SCOTT

Subs

6 Mark HAINES (Cook 61’)

8 Andrew BENNETT

14 Eyituoyo AKINBULUMO

15 Bailey CARLESS

19 Mason COOK

Bedford Town XI

1 Adam HARRISON

2 Dequane WILSON-BRAITHWAITE (Goal 2’)

3 Jack DAVIES

4 Kieron DAWES

5 Carl MENSAH

6 Lewis GREEN

7 Scott THOMAS (Taaffe 80’)

8 Edward GYAMFI (Yellow card 33’)

9 Edward PANTER

10 Tyler WINTERS (Yellow card 23’)

11 Ryan BLAKE (c) (Goal 42’)

Subs

12 Lewis TAAFFE

13 Jonathan DUGGAN

14 Elliot SIMMONS

15 Ekow COKER

16 Leon LOBJOIT

Attendance 423