Real Bedford end season with comeback victory at Thame united
By Will Murray
Real Bedford ended the 2024/25 season with a 2-1 victory at Thame United, thanks to a brace from the league’s top scorer Joey Evans. The result meant that the Pirates finished the campaign with 104 points, 15 points clear of second-placed Berkhamsted.
It was a quiet start to the first half at the ASM Stadium, with the hosts defending well in a back five. Thame went ahead in the 14th minute through Dan West. He received the ball from Brayden Daniel at the backpost and slotted calmly past Tyler McGregor.
Rob Sinclair’s side controlled possession throughout the first half but struggled to create clear-cut chances. Thame, who required a 13-goal swing to finish in the last play-off spot ahead of Hadley, came close to doubling the lead when Oscar Lucey’s cross was headed narrowly wide by West.
The Pirates knocked on the door in the closing stages of the opening half, with Evans and Malachi Soile both seeing their efforts from close range narrowly miss the target.
Second Half
After the break, Jack Morrell thought he had equalised from a corner, but his header was cleared off the line by a Thame defender.
Just before the hour mark, Evans’ half-volley from inside the box was impressively saved by Matthew Crowther to maintain the hosts’ slender one-goal advantage.
With time running out, it looked like it wasn’t going to be the Pirates’ day, who had only lost one game away from home throughout the season. Evans had other ideas, though, heading past Crowther in the 78th minute after the ball had fallen to him in the box following a quick Ben Stevens free-kick.
Tom Hitchcock nearly completed the comeback three minutes later, heading a floated Josh Setchell cross inches wide of the post.
In the 86th minute, the Pirates were awarded a penalty after Evans was brought down in the box. He stepped up and emphatically put the ball into the top corner – his 39th league goal of the season and 40th in all competitions.
Evans finished the season as the Southern League Division One Central’s top scorer – seven clear of Flackwell Heath’s Wiktor Makowski.
The Pirates held on to secure their 33rd win of the campaign, putting them on 104 points after 40 games.
After the match, Sinclair said:
“In terms of summing the season up, that was probably it. Hard work, the commitment, the belief in the way we play to keep doing it. You could easily get frustrated and to go and score the two goals that they deserved to win the game – I’m really proud.”
McGregor, Morrell, Longden, Soile, Richardson (T. Ward 63’), Hitchcock, Nicolson (Agemoh-Davies 68’), Watkins (Jones 52’), Stevens, Setchell, Evans.
Unused subs: Galliford, S. Ward.
Thame United 1 - 2 Real Bedford
26th April 2025
Kick-off: 3pm
Location: ASM Stadium
