The Pirates Grind Our a 1-1 Draw Away at Northampton on Chenecks

Match Report

2 Apr

A rugged display in Northampton saw Real Bedford collect a hard-fought point on the road against title challengers Northampton ON Chenecks. Despite Real's lead at the top of the table, tensions during a heated stop-start affair.

It was evident in the opening 10 minutes at the Old Northamptonians Sports Ground that the pitch and elements would play a key factor across the 90 minutes, with neither side managing to take control of the game.

A win would have seen The Pirates close to being crowned league champions. They pushed hard to create an opening goal, with the best chance falling to Dan Walker on the 15-minute mark. He picked up a ball outside the area before releasing a shot that ricocheted off of a Chenecks defender. Walker was then sent to the sin bin following a suspected handball by Jack Ashton, which the referee later waived away to the dismay of the Bedford striker.

Ten minutes later, after serving his time in the sin bin, Walker made instant amends scoring the game's first goal. James Ducket, with a delectable ball across the pitch from deep inside the Bedford half, found Walker, who, without breaking stride, managed to get the ball under his control and find the goal, expertly slotting the ball into the bottom left to get Real off the mark in this crucial clash.

The rest of the half failed to produce any clear-cut chances, and Bedford then did well to see out the first half.

Second Half

Chenecks came out firing in the second half and managed to get back on level terms early on. A well-worked corner for the home side proved to cause issues for Bedford at the back, with Cheneck's captain Jack Ashton able to rise highest in the air and head the ball home to level up proceedings.

With half an hour to go, there were feelings that the game was about to open up; however, the game descended into a tense battle for the midfield. With challenges being put in left and right, the sound of the referee's whistle was becoming common as both teams attempted to break down their counterparts physically.

Some good chances slipped by for both sides as we headed towards the final whistle. Some outstanding keeping from Tyler McGregor was undoubtedly a highlight for the Pirates, keeping Chennecks at bay as they searched for a crucial 3 points in their title charge.

The last chance came in the final few minutes of the game. Another superb run from Dan Walker allowed him to forage towards the area and field a wicked cross towards the penalty area. Claston Gordon was then inches away from tapping the ball into the back of the net for the ultimate Real Bedford win, but the Cheneck's keeper pushed the ball past the winger, stopping the league leaders from clinching all the points on the road.

Despite that, Bedford showed true grit and character to maintain their unbeaten run on the road and pick up another point, keeping the need for four more points to secure the league title.

Real Bedford faces Langford away on Saturday, 8th April before returning to McMullen Park for an Easter Monday, 10th April, clash against local rivals Ampthill Town. Make sure you come down and support the lads as they look to claim the league.

RBFC: McGregor, Hartley, Clifford, Knight ©, Wood, J. Ducket, Owusu (Gordon 77’), Culley, Hitchcock, Corbit, Walker.

Unused Subs: R. Ducket, S. Sinclair, Agaci, Uttridge.