It was heartbreak for The Pirates on Valentine's Day as they lost at home to Wellingborough Whitworth under the Tuesday Night Lights. Two costly mistakes gave all three points to the visitors.

Real Bedford fell to a second defeat at home in 2023 in a frustrating 2-0 loss to Wellingborough Whitworth on Valentine’s Day. The Pirates failed to increase the lead at the top of the table against a struggling Wellingborough side who managed to find goals either side of the half, in between some gutsy defending from ‘the Flourmen’.

It was clear that Bedford would dominate possession throughout the game; however, Real were caught well on the counter inside the first 15 minutes. Kobi Bivens collected the ball around the halfway line before laying it off to the dangerous Connor Bailey, who produced an optimistic effort from range, catching Tyler McGregor off his line and slipping through the hands of the keeper to find the back of the net. The first of two out-of-character mistakes for the young keeper this evening, setting Real Bedford on the back foot and chasing the game.

The league leaders did have a few half chances to level the game. The head of Tom Hitchcock utilised around the penalty area on several occasions, but no ball seemed to find its way towards the target. Kevin Owusu’s threaded ball to Hitchcock allowed the striker to get a shot away on the turn, only for it to glance wide of the goal and prove little trouble for young Wellingborough keeper Shackleton. Hitchcock was involved soon after in arguably Bedford’s best chance of the half. The ball was spread out wide through Hitchcock to Dan Walker, deputising in a relatively unfamiliar wing-back role, who in turn fired the ball into the area towards an awaiting Jordan Brown, who couldn’t get the right touch on the ball to steer it towards goal deflecting it wide of the post. It was proving to be an agonising first half of football for the McMullen Park faithful.

Real had two calls for penalties dismissed late in the first half, with Jordan Brown and Ben McGrath both tripped inside the area. The referee waved them away as the Pirates headed into the break with a comeback firmly on their agenda.

Second Half

Despite having complete control of possession and playing all the football within Wellingborough's half, Real Bedford failed to make more than one clear-cut chance to even up affairs within the second half. Wellingborough's defensive game plan frustrated Bedford, defending deep and limiting the Pirate's chances of making headway into dangerous areas. The only notable chance fell to Luke Knight from a free kick. The captain swung the ball goalwards from the left, forcing an impeccable save from Shackleton, who managed to tip the ball onto the bar before Wellingborough defenders diffused the situation and cleared their lines.

And if things couldn't get any worse for Bedford, as the clock dipped into the red, Tom Wood played an unopposed back-pass towards an awaiting McGregor, but the ball travelled underneath the foot of the keeper, doubling Wellingborough's advantage and giving them all three points in a far from ideal showing from the home side.

Wellingborough saw out the game and kept a clean sheet, only the second team to do it this season.

There is no time to dwell as the Pirates travel away to Leighton Town Reserves on Saturday 18th, February, hoping to progress to the final of The County Cup, Senior Trophy.

RBFC: McGregor, Owusu (Gordon 67’), Walker, Knight ©, Wood, J. Ducket, McGrath, S. Sinclair, Hitchcock, Corbit, Brown.

Unused Subs: R. Ducket, A. Sinclair.