Pirates Sink Thame United in 9 Goal thriller at Ledger Stadium
Real Bedford delivered a stunning performance in a nine-goal thriller against Thame United at The Ledger Stadium, bouncing back emphatically from their recent FA Trophy exit. The Pirates dominated from start to finish, securing a 7-2 victory in front of the home fans.
The match started with a scare for Bedford as Thame had the ball in the back of the net within the first two minutes, courtesy of McElroy. However, the goal was disallowed due to offside, a huge let-off for the hosts.
Just three minutes later, Bedford capitalised on their good fortune. A beautifully floated corner from Ben Stevens found Jack Morrell at the near post, who rose highest to head the ball past Thame goalkeeper Crowther, putting Bedford 1-0 up in the 5th minute.
Bedford doubled their lead in the 11th minute, thanks to a dazzling run from Eniola Agemoh-Davies down the left. He delivered a perfect pass into the path of Evans, who fired it home with ease, making it 2-0.
The game settled for a period, but Bedford maintained control and continued to push forward. In the 27th minute, Agemoh-Davies was involved once again, this time setting up Josh Setchell on the right. Setchell dribbled into the box and smashed the ball into the bottom left corner, extending Bedford’s lead to 3-0. The Pirates dominated the remainder of the half, comfortably heading into the break with a commanding lead.
Second Half
Thame United came out in the second half looking more determined, and they managed to pull a goal back in the 50th minute. Fabian Garcia broke through Bedford’s defence and squared the ball to McElroy, who blasted it past McGregor to make it 3-1.
Bedford, however, responded swiftly and upped their intensity. In the 60th minute, Drew Richardson played a fantastic through ball to Evans, who unselfishly squared it to Ben Stevens. Stevens calmly slotted it into the net, restoring Bedford’s three-goal advantage and making it 4-1.
Just four minutes later, Josh Setchell added his second of the game. Dribbling down the right, he fired a powerful shot at the near post, leaving Crowther with no chance. The goal brought Bedford to 5-1, and Setchell wasn’t done yet.
In the 68th minute, Bedford launched a devastating counter-attack. Isaac Galliford squared the ball perfectly to Setchell, who completed his hat-trick with a composed finish. His brilliant performance earned him man of the match as Bedford took a 6-1 lead.
Thame, to their credit, refused to lie down. Just two minutes later, McElroy scored a stunning goal from 40 yards out, lobbing McGregor to make it 6-2, giving Thame a small consolation and reminding everyone of the attacking threat they posed.
Bedford continued to press, and in the 75th minute, they were gifted another goal. Ben Stevens had his shot blocked, but the ball deflected off Thame’s number 5 Finlay Murray and into the net for an own goal, extending Bedford’s lead to 7-2.
The action-packed match took another dramatic turn in the 87th minute when Thame’s Tutton made a horrific knee-high tackle on Jack Morrell. The referee had no choice but to show a straight red card, reducing Thame to 10 men for the remainder of the game.
The Pirates are next at home on Tuesday 22nd October, facing Potton United in the Senior Challenge Cup. Tickets for the match are available here.
RBFC: McGregor, Morrell, S. Ward, Longden, Watkins (Corbit 71’), Richardson, Nicolson (Jones 65’), Agemoh-Davies (Galliford 66’), Stevens, Setchell (Knight 77’), Evans (Hitchcock 77’).
Real Bedford 7 - 2 Thame United
12th October, 2024
Kick-off: 3pm
Location: Ledger Stadium
