Ampthill Town hosted Real Bedford for the post-Christmas local derby, drawing in the league's record crowd. 401 people came out for the tie and saw Bedford win 3 - 1 and maintain their 15-point gap at the top of the table.

Note: We could not stream this game, so no footage of the goals is available.

Real rewarded the travelling Bedford faithful with a 3 - 1 win away at local rivals Ampthill Town. The traditional post-Christmas derby saw around 100 away fans make the trip to Ampthill for what promised to be a great game of football. With Real topping the table and Ampthill chasing the playoffs, there was a lot to play for, as seen with Ampthill drawing in a record crowd this season of over 400.

The referee blew the whistle as the rain started to fall, and Bedford immediately took control of the game. Within five minutes, the away side nearly took the lead but for a great save from Ross Tompkins in the Ampthill goal, tipping a long-range shot from Luke Knight over the bar. Knight, hungry for a goal, made sure Bedford had the lead in the 10th minute. Another long-range shot from the Real Captain hit the underside of the bar to put the league leaders ahead.

Bedford continued to push for a second, and Tompkins again pulled off a great save to push Eddie Corbit’s 20-yard drive over.

Half an hour into the game, Ampthill started to get control of the midfield, with ex-Bedford player Draycott causing problems down the left. Ampthill pushed for an equaliser but struggled to create any clear cut chances.

With the first half coming to an end, Jim Burnside had two chances to increase the Bedford lead. Firstly, a cross from the impressive Jordan Brown was put wide, and two minutes later, Tompkins pulled off another great save to deny the Bedford striker.

Second Half

The second half followed the same pattern as the first, with Bedford dominating the opening 20 minutes. There were chances for Jim Burnside and Jordan Brown, with Burnside saved when clean through on goal and Brown hitting the post.

Looking to capitalise on possession, Rob Sinclair brought Kevin Owusu on for Andy Sinclair, with the young winger immediately causing problems down the left. Within five minutes, Owusu added his name to the score sheet. Claston Gordon skipped past two tackles on the wing and delivered a pinpoint cross for Owusu, who buried the ball in the back of the net to double Bedford’s lead.

Ampthill nearly got back into the game after a mistake at the back for Real. A loose pass from Tyler McGregor in the Bedford goal gave Ampthill a chance to get a goal back, but McGregor made amends by pushing the shot onto the bar and out for a corner.

The game boiled over in the 70th minute after a bad tackle on Jordan Brown. Both teams reacted, and after some pushing and shoving, the referee showed four yellow cards.

With Bedford looking comfortable for the win, Ampthill found themselves back in the game in the 80th minute. Great work down the left from Sam Holmes who skipped passed the tackle of James Ducket and cut the ball across the Bedford goal where ex-Real defender Mark Bunker slotted comfortably into the back of the net.

Game on.

With Ampthill smelling blood, Bedford immediately restored their lead. This time Jim Burnside was never going to miss as a through ball found him 6 yards out, and he smashed the ball past Tompkins, securing three more points for Bedford.

Real kicks off 2023 with a home game against Langford at McMullen Park on Monday, 2nd January. Come down and support the lads as they look to continue their winning form.

RBFC: McGregor, Gordon, Clifford, Knight ©, J. Ducket, Uttridge, Corbit (McGrath 85’), Sinclair (Owusu, 60’), Walker, Burnside, Brown.

Unused Subs: R. Ducket, Culley, Ayre.