Real Bedford saved their blushes after heading into the halftime break a goal down, coming back to beat Thame United Reserves 6-2.

Goals from Brown (2), Walker, Burnside, Knight and Sinclair meant that The Pirates got the job done on the road and extended their run of form to eight games unbeaten.

Real Bedford arrived at The ASM Stadium in cold conditions looking to maintain their gap at the top of the league with title rivals Northampton Sileby also playing.

It was a dominant opening from the away team with Real putting Thame under pressure from the opening whistle. Under the floodlights, Real Bedford looked hungry for goals and kept Thame's keeper Micky Thompson busy early on.

The first good chance fell to Dan Walker 15 minutes into the game when a tempting ball on the edge of the area landed at the striker's feet. Walker produced a sweet shot that forced an acrobatic save from Thompson to deny him a spectacular opening goal. Walker was then the provider, feeding the ball towards Tom Hitchcock moments later, who shot from point-blank range, but the reflexes of Thompson once again kept the game scoreless.

Real Bedford continued to pile on the pressure, with Thame struggling to get out of their half, and it wasn't long before the away side was ahead. Hitchcock was fouled just outside the Thame United box, and Luke Knight stepped up to punish the home side. Bending his shot around the Thame Wall, the Real captain squeezed his shot into the bottom corner. It was another great goal from Knight to break the deadlock and give The Pirates a slender lead.

Real nearly doubled their lead shortly after as Claston Gordon picked up the ball on the edge of the box and forced a goal-line clearance from Thame's Max West to deny the Bedford wing-back his first goal for the club. It felt like the floodgates were ready to open, but it would be Thame who would take control of the game at the end of the half.

Complacent defending from Real Bedford gave Thame two opportunities before the break to give them the lead heading into halftime. An ambitious run from their young striker James Carr caught Bedford napping as he slotted the ball past McGregor to level up proceedings.

Thame United then doubled down, Harry Alexander picking up on a loose pass from James Ducket and putting McGregor in no-mans-land, careering past the keeper and placing the ball in a vacant net; Thame heading into the break with an unexpected lead.

Second Half

A stern team talk from Rob Sinclair at halftime was evident as The Pirates came out for the second half looking far more threatening. Ten minutes of sustained pressure was too much for the home team, who conceded after a well-weighted lobbed pass from Luke Knight found Jordan Brown in space and he calmly tucked it away in the box to bring the score level.

Five minutes later and Real were back ahead, and it was Knight who was the creator once again. Another lobbed ball, this time from a free-kick, found the head of Tom Wood in the box, who nodded it down for Dan Walker on the 6-yard line, who was never going to miss.

The floodgates now opened, and it only took a few more minutes before Real Bedford bagged another. Eddie Corbit pulling the strings in a MOTM display, managing to find room on the wing and pulled it back to Dan Walker in the box. His initial shot was parried away by Thompson but only as far as Jordan Brown, who tapped the ball over the line, a stereotypical poacher's goal for the prolific striker.

Real Bedford were now in the driving seat, allowing Sinclair to make changes and see out the game. Burnside's came on for Owusu and his impact was almost immediate, but while his shot beat the keeper, the goal was ruled offside. The striker wasn't going to be left out of the scoring, and shortly after, with a toe poke finish past the keeper after some superb interplay from the majority of the Real Bedford team in a well-worked team goal.

Real was still not done and inflicted a final blow while the clock was in the red. Claston Gordon gained control of the ball on the edge of the box, flicking the ball back to Andy Sinclair, who struck the ball first time, rifling the ball into the bottom right corner. His second goal is as many games rounding off what finished a confident victory for Real Bedford.

The pirates are back on the road again this Saturday, facing rock-bottom Wellingborough at Victoria Mill Ground, looking to continue this purple patch heading towards the big Festive bash back at McMullen Park on Saturday 17th December against Amersham.

RBFC: McGregor, Gordon, Owusu (Burnside 59’), Wood, Uttridge, J.Ducket, Corbit (McGrath 64), Knight ©, Walker, Hitchcock (Sinclair 78’), Brown.

Unused Subs: McLeod-Bentley.