Dramatic late winner gives The Pirates all three points at Haringey
Real Bedford came back from a one-goal deficit at halftime to take all three points in North London thanks to a superb brace from Gemma Croucher and a late header from Sophie Billing.
The hosts, keen to close the gap at the top of the league, struck the first blow with a goal in the opening 15 minutes. Martha Boabonay, latching onto a well-crafted pass, struck the ball the first time past Sarah Hudson to open the scoring.
However, Real Bedford soon fought back after multiple chances were blazed over the bar by Cesca Partridge, Erin Price and Lisa Milliken. The latter found herself in space in the midfield, threading a ball through to Gemma Croucher, who slid in between defenders and slotted the ball past the keeper to draw the scores level at the half-hour mark.
With the game only level for three minutes, Haringey retook the lead just before the break. Gemma Croucher lost possession in the midfield, and captain Rhonnell Humed produced a slaloming run down the left flank before cutting in and curling a shot past Hudson and into the back of the net, to the delight of the home fans.
Second Half
The Haringey faithful had much less to chant about in the second half, as they failed to produce many chances throughout the 45 minutes. Their only real opportunity came early after the break when Humed had the ball in the back of the net again, but the assistant had already raised their flag.
Cecsa Partridge had an excellent chance to equalise moments later but was unable to get the ball from underneath her feet and get a shot on goal.
With 15 minutes to go and The Pirates needing an equaliser, Gemma Croucher stepped up to deliver it. Ajayi, with good footwork in the midfield, allowed Croucher to receive the ball on the edge of the area. The midfielder produced a clean strike and found the bottom left from outside the box, sparking life back into this Real Bedford side with a moment of individual brilliance.
Then, with minutes left on the clock. Lisa Milliken produced a series of impeccable deliveries into the area, spelling trouble for the home side, which had put all their players behind the ball to try and salvage a point from the game. However, Milliken produced the winning cross on her third attempt, finding the head of Sophie Billing at the near post to complete the comeback, ensuring The Pirates retained their winning streak in the league and extended their lead at the top of the table.
Real Bedford Ladies now travel to bottom-of-the-table Kings Lynn this weekend before returning to McMullen Park at the end of January to face Watford Development in cup action.
Haringey Borough 2 - 3 Real Bedford
14th January, 2024
Kick-off: 2pm
Location: Coles Park
