By Will Murray

Real Bedford secured their second win of the 2025/26 season, beating Bury Town 2-0 at the Ledger Stadium. Joey Evans and Josh Setchell scored first-half goals for the Pirates to give them eight points from their first seven league matches.

Lewis Hilliard was announced and in the starting lineup for the Pirates on Tuesday night, he impressed throughout the whole match with his aggressive playing style and experience.

The first opportunity of the game fell to the visitors, with George Quantrell hitting the side-netting after only four minutes.

After this early scare, the Pirates settled down and opened the scoring in the eighth minute through Evans. Conor Tee, who impressed on his return to the starting lineup, fired a low cross from the right wing across the goal, finding Evans, who taps the ball home from close range.

Four minutes later, the lead became two with Tee, the architect of the move, once again. This time, he took it past a couple of Bury Town defenders and laid the ball to Setchell, who blasted it past Charlie Beckwith.

Tee continued to create for the Pirates and was denied by a last-ditch block by the visitors’ defence in the 30th minute. The Blues had chances of their own, with Tyler McGregor making a crucial save to deny Cemal Ramadan.

Rob Sinclair’s side had further chances to make it three in the closing stages of the half, but Evans and Archie Jones were unable to find the target in the 37th and 39th minutes, respectively.

Second Half

The Pirates had to show a different side to their game in the second half, defending deep and soaking up pressure from the visitors.

Bury Town had chances through Joseph Carroll and Quantrell, with McGregor making another important low stop to deny the latter in the 54th minute.

Despite the Blues’ possession, they struggled to break through the Pirates’ stubborn defence, and it was Real Bedford who nearly scored a third in the 81st minute through debutant Lewis Hilliard.

A corner dropped to the 34-year-old on the edge of the box, but his right-footed effort was deflected inches wide of the left post.

Evans also had another chance to add to his tally in the 91st minute, as Setchell fired a low cross from the right to find the number nine in the box with only Beckwith to beat. The Bury Town shot-stopper made a last-ditch stop, though, keeping the deficit at two.

The Pirates held on to secure the three points, moving them up to 15th and five points away from the last play-off spot currently occupied by Kettering Town.

In his post-match interview, Sinclair said:

“In the first 20 to 25 minutes, we absolutely blew them away. It could have been three or four. We asked them to play forward quicker in the transition, and the boys did that.

Obviously, in the second half, you have to defend and stop crosses, but we limited them to nothing really. There were little flashes across the box. As a whole, the second half defensively and out of possession was spot on.”

Next up for the Pirates is an away game in the league against Worcester City on Saturday 20th September.

Lineup: McGregor, S. Ward, Cartwright, Davies, Morrell, Hilliard, Watkins (Richardson 83’), Jones (Weyman 75’), Tee (Stevens 68’), Setchell, Evans (Allen 90+2’).

Unused subs: Hitchcock.

Real Bedford 2-0 Bury Town
Tuesday 9th September 2025
Kick-off: 7:45pm
Location: Ledger Stadium