REPORT: Eagles v Swindon
A pointless return for Ady Williams to Swindon Supermarine on Saturday
After Tuesday evening's first defeat of the current campaign, at Didcot, Ady Williams took the Eagles to his former stomping ground of Swindon Supermarine hoping to reverse an indifferent start to the season and guide Bedford to their first ever win at the Webb's Wood Stadium.
A first half penalty for the hosts, however, proved to be the only goal of the game and Bedford's second defeat of the season means that the side have yet to win in the league, with only two goals scored in the process.
Williams was forced into changes for this game. Josh Sozzo failed a late fitness test; Michael McKenzie and Craig Daniel were both unavailable.
Both Stacey Field and Jamie Cole made first starts of the season, and Phil Draycott was recalled back into the side.
With Swindon kicking off, the home side could have taken the lead in just 14 seconds, when Chris Taylor saw an opening and tried his luck with a 25-yard effort that took a deflection off Stuart Wall before bouncing past the wrong side of the left hand post.
The early strike was never a precursor of what was to come as chances for either side were stagnant.
A one-two between Ian Draycott and Callum Lewis, in the ninth minute, proved to be the Bedford's best chance of the half, when the latter of the players gave himself enough room, inside the area, to go for goal. Unfortunately the low shot from Lewis skimmed past the right hand post and off.
On the quarter hour, Ashan Holgate teased a cross into the area from the right byline that had enough legs and bounce to evade the hands of Ian Brown, and Steve Cook racing in, lost the chance to put the home side 1-0 up after stumbling in front of the ball.
But a chance did come for Swindon, in the form of a penalty, on 33 minutes, when there was much attacking and defending going on. During the ensuing melee inside the Bedford penalty area, Holgate went to ground, but it wasn't until Brown had saved a shot a few seconds later that the referee brought the game back and amid some confusion, awarded a penalty.
After the protestations from Bedford had died down, Nick Stanley stepped up to the spot and slammed the ball down the middle.
Just before the half time whistle, Gavin Hoyte's free kick from 20-yards beat the wall and the bar.
The 2nd half was never a spectacle, and at times got a bit tetchy, especially when Swindon didn't return the ball back to Bedford, after Derwayne Stupple had headed the ball out when Stuart Wall was down injured. This provided a form of retribution a bit later on when a similar situation occurred, although the ball was given back, it was kicked out for a throw that Swindon were forced to take, deep in their own half.
The first effort of the half came 23 minutes in when Brown tipped over a shot from Taylor.
It was testament to how toothless the second period was as the next chance came with five minutes of normal time remaining.
This time it was a glorious chance for the equaliser. Ian Draycott did well to control the ball under pressure from two defenders; especially as he had to contend with a long pass out of defence. Looking up, the Bedford attacker squared the ball to the unmarked Jamie Cole, who took the ball into the area, but had his shot saved by the legs of Mark Scott.
Six minutes into injury time, a corner for the visitors prompted Brown to run the length of the field to join in, and although he didn't get a touch, substitute, Tom Hole rose highest but saw his header flash over the bar.
Bedford
1 Ian Brown
2 Callum Lewis
3 Eddie Lawley
4 Derwayne Stupple (c)
5 Stuart Wall
6 Gavin Hoyte
7 Jamie Cole
8 Phil Draycott
9 Ian Draycott
10 Craig Rydeheard
11 Stacey Field
Subs:
12 Josh Sozzo
14 Rob Miller (on for Draycott P 80)
15 Tom Hole (on for Wall 67)
16 Sean Bolton
17 Graham Clark (on for Field 46)
Man of the Match
Callum Lewis
Attendance
141
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Weather for Bedford
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
