Real Bedford Defy Odds with Ten Men in 5-5 thriller
By Will Murray
Ten-man Real Bedford scored an injury-time penalty to secure a dramatic 5-5 draw against Flackwell Heath at The Ledger Stadium. Joey Evans scored a hat-trick for the Pirates, along with strikes from Josh Setchell and Ben Stevens to maintain their four-point lead at the top of the table.
It was an eventful first half with the visitors opening the scoring after only three minutes. Wiktor Makowski’s blocked shot eventually found Michael Harding on the edge of the box, who fired the ball past Tyler McGregor.
Rob Sinclair’s side responded seven minutes later, though, when the referee awarded a penalty after Setchell was brought down in the box. The in-form Evans then slotted the spot-kick into the bottom right corner to level the match.
The Heathens were a constant threat throughout the opening half, with Makowski and Matthew Ayres missing noteworthy chances after Bedford’s leveller. They were rewarded for their pressure in the 24th minute when a long ball from Lewis Pegg found Makowski, who cut back onto his right foot and curled the ball past McGregor.
Bedford equalised again six minutes later when Setchell’s low cross on the right wing eventually found its way to Evans, who poked the ball past the goalkeeper. The home side’s turnaround was complete in the 36th minute when Ben Stevens dispossessed a Flackwell defender and dribbled into the box before firing his shot past Carl Dennison.
This wasn’t the end of the first half action, though. Minutes before the break, Makowski played a through ball to Harding, leaving him one-on-one with Jack Morrell, who tripped the attacker, meaning the Bedford defender was given a straight red card.
Second Half
Ty Ward was replaced by Malachi Soile at half-time, as Sinclair looked to secure an improbable three points with ten men. Their task was made harder in the 50th minute when the visitors intercepted the ball deep into Bedford’s half, leading to Ayres firing a low shot past McGregor.
Sinclair’s side were forced to soak up pressure from the visitors in the early stages of the second half but came close to going ahead again in the 63rd minute when a one-two between Stevens and Setchell, which saw Setchell’s effort go narrowly wide of Dennison’s goal.
The away side were ahead again two minutes later when Ayres picked the ball up from a throw-in on the left wing and found Jack Shakespeare unmarked in the box, who tucked the ball home. In the 69th minute, Flackwell extended their advantage when Makowksi tucked away a lofted ball from Ayres from the left.
After conceding five and falling two behind with ten men, it looked like the Pirates were set to suffer their first defeat since Kings Langley in December 2024. Sinclair’s side had other ideas, though, and halved the deficit in the 75th minute when Setchell rounded the goalkeeper and tucked the ball home after a lofted ball over the top of Flackwell’s defence from Drew Richardson.
Bedford dominated the last 10 minutes of the match, probing for an equaliser in front of an expectant home crowd. Archie Jones and Tom Hitchcock came on as the home side searched for an equaliser, Hitchcock was fouled in the box in the fifth minute of additional time.
Evans stepped up and calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to complete his hat-trick and secure an improbable point for the Pirates.
Next up is a semi-final against AFC Dunstable in the Beds Senior Cup on Tuesday, with the winner earning a spot in the final that will be played at Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road.
After the match, Sinclair said:
“Especially with the load the boys have gone through today, the game on Tuesday is going to be another tough game, but one where we want to progress and get into a final.”
The Pirates are next at home on Tuesday 11th February, facing Stotfold in the league. Tickets for the match are available here
RBFC: McGregor, Morrell, S.Ward, Longden (Hitchcock 88’), Richardson, Watkins, T.Ward (Soile 46’), Stevens (Jones 75’), Galliford (Agemoh-Davies 63’), Setchell, Evans.
Unused subs: Nicolson
Real Bedford 5 - 5 Flackwell Heath
1st February, 2025
Kick-off: 3pm
Location: Ledger Stadium
HIGHLIGHTS
