Pirates Battle Back in Eight-Goal Pre-Season Thriller
Real Bedford produced two spirited comebacks to earn an entertaining 4-4 draw against Harborough Town in their first pre-season outing at The Ledger Stadium.
The visitors made the brighter start and were handed an early opportunity to take the lead when a penalty was awarded after Drew Richardson was adjudged to have brought down the Harborough striker following an excellent first touch. Despite the trialist goalkeeper getting a hand to the spot-kick, the strike had too much power and found the back of the net to make it 1-0 after just four minutes.
Harborough looked threatening in the opening exchanges and went close again with an effort that drifted narrowly wide before the Pirates began to settle into the contest. Josh Setchell had an effort brilliantly cleared off the line, while Stevens drilled a dangerous cross through the six-yard box that was eventually headed clear. Conor Tee also came close, firing just over the crossbar, before Richardson saw a superb volley denied by another outstanding goal-line clearance.
Against the run of Pirate pressure, Harborough doubled their advantage in the 18th minute with a stunning strike from the edge of the area that left the trialist goalkeeper with no chance.
The Pirates responded well. Tee’s free-kick struck the wall before the winger halved the deficit just a minute later, collecting a clever pass from Stevens and calmly finishing to make it 2-1.
Real Bedford’s momentum continued and they were awarded a penalty just after the half-hour mark when Jack Morrell was brought down inside the area. Stevens stepped up confidently and rolled his spot-kick into the bottom corner to bring the Pirates level at 2-2.
Harborough threatened again before the break with a shot that flew narrowly over the bar, but the sides went into half-time all square after an entertaining opening 45 minutes.
Second Half
There was drama before the second half had even begun as Harborough’s manager was shown a red card following an incident with the referee.
The visitors regained the lead just three minutes after the restart, restoring their advantage at 3-2, and they continued to ask questions of the Pirates defence. Tee almost forced an own goal with an inviting cross that a Harborough defender was fortunate not to turn into his own net.
Real Bedford thought they had equalised midway through the half when debutant Owen Brooks found the net, but the assistant referee’s flag denied him. Moments later, Harborough almost extended their lead at the other end, only to round the goalkeeper and somehow strike the post with the goal at their mercy.
The visitors did eventually add a fourth in spectacular fashion, a sensational volley giving the trialist goalkeeper no chance to make it 4-2.
Brooks remained a constant threat, racing through on goal after what looked like a tight offside call, only to round the goalkeeper and be unable to finish. At the other end, the Bedford trialist produced an excellent save to keep the deficit at two and give the Pirates hope heading into the closing stages.
That hope was reignited with 12 minutes remaining when Tee produced a superb finish to score his second of the afternoon and reduce the deficit to 4-3.
The Pirates pushed relentlessly for an equaliser and were desperately unlucky not to find one when Brooks showed brilliant footwork before laying the ball into the path of Stevens, whose goal-bound effort was cleared off the line yet again.
The pressure finally told in the final minute. Excellent movement carved open the Harborough defence before Hitchcock applied a composed finish to level the scores at 4-4.
It finished all square after an action-packed afternoon, with Real Bedford showing tremendous character to recover from two-goal deficits in both halves and start pre-season with an encouraging display.
First-Half XI: Trialist, Ward, Richardson, Morrell, Collins, Thanoj, Ahmed, Setchell, Tee, Stevens, Ponticelli.
Second-Half XI: Trialist, Ward, Trialist, Cartwright, Collins, Trialist, Simmons, Brooks, Tee, Stevens, Hitchcock.
Real Bedford 4-4 Harborough Town
Date: Saturday 11th July 2026
Kick-Off: 3pm
Venue: The Ledger Stadium
