Darcy Guy's Heroics Earn Real Bedford a Hard-Fought Draw
Real Bedford returned to The Ledger Stadium on a wet and dreary afternoon after a few weeks off, hosting Cambridge United in a tightly contested league match. Bedford came into the game looking to bounce back from their 1-1 draw against Chatham Town, while the weather made for challenging playing conditions.
Cambridge United came out strong, pinning Bedford back in their own half from the opening whistle. Within the first five minutes, Bedford found themselves under pressure, frantically clearing their lines as Cambridge launched several attacks. In the 7th minute, Stojko-Down of Cambridge unleashed the first clear shot of the match, but Bedford’s goalkeeper Darcy Guy made a confident save.
Bedford responded quickly, counter-attacking in the 8th minute with Tricia Gould breaking free one-on-one with the Cambridge keeper, but her shot went wide, missing a great chance to put the Pirates ahead. Cambridge continued to threaten, and in the 15th minute, they appeared to have taken the lead when Wodhams found the back of the net from a corner, but the goal was disallowed for offside, much to Bedford’s relief.
Bedford had a chance of their own in the 19th minute when Emily Wilson was fouled just outside the box, but Gemma Biggadike’s free-kick sailed over the bar. Cambridge then came close again in the 25th minute with a fantastic long-range strike from Eva Hubbard, only for Guy to pull off a stunning fingertip save to push it over the bar. Moments later, Stojko-Down rattled the crossbar, and despite several chances, the teams went into the break level at 0-0.
Second Half
The second half began with Bedford earning a free kick in the 47th minute following a mistimed tackle by Cheal-Ferris, but the resulting set-piece came to nothing. Both sides struggled to create clear-cut chances for the next 20 minutes, as the rain poured down and made conditions even trickier.
Bedford began to build some momentum around the 60th minute, piling pressure on Cambridge with a flurry of shots, but none were enough to trouble the Cambridge goalkeeper. In the 78th minute, Cambridge had a great opportunity when Wodhams broke through Bedford’s defence and found herself one-on-one with Guy, but her shot went wide.
As the game edged into stoppage time, it looked like Cambridge might snatch all three points. Cheal-Ferris unleashed a powerful shot destined for the top corner, but once again, Darcy Guy came to Bedford’s rescue with an incredible save to deny the goal. Guy was called into action immediately after, making another fantastic stop to keep Cambridge at bay.
The match ended in a 0-0 draw, with both teams struggling to find a breakthrough in difficult conditions. Darcy Guy’s heroics in goal ensured that Real Bedford held on for a hard-earned point.
The Pirates are back at home on Sunday 27th October, facing Chesham in the league. Tickets for the match are available here.
RBFC Women: Guy, Warren, Puddick, Biggadike, Evans, Stovold, Wilson, Gould, McLean (Newman 78’), Hayes, Bensted.
Unused Subs: Price, McDonnell, Davies.
Real Bedford 0 - 0 Cambridge United
25th September, 2024
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Location: Ledger Stadium
