Bad night as Bedford Town lose at Royston Town with Leon Lobjoit sent off
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
It may have been a different story, especially in the third minute, when a cross into the area from the left was dummied by Ryan Blake to allow Lewis Hilliard a chance on goal with just Jamie Head to beat, but the Bedford midfielder skewed his shot wide of the mark.
Royston scored what was to be the winner on 17 minutes, when a Bedford attack was snuffed out. The ball was played down the left and crossed in, with the defence unable to deal with it properly, and Jesse Akubuine, latching onto the ball, produced a snapshot from just inside the area to bulge the net.
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Hide AdJust after the half hour, Eddie Panter chased a Blake pass, and beat the advancing Head to the ball, as the keeper exited his area.


The pace of the ball meant Panter had trouble controlling it for an easy tap in, and the Royston defence reorganised to keep him at bay.
The second half saw more of the same, as the home side suppressed any football the Eagles wished to play.
The hero from Saturday, at Barwell, Bruno Andrade, was introduced on 73 minutes, and within two minutes, had curled a shot that rebounded off the post for Bedford’s closest effort of the night.
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Hide AdThe Eagles were reduced in number when Leon Lobjoit received a second yellow card for dissent with six minutes left, having been booked midway through the first half.


A champagne moment in a rather flat and scrappy game ensured the Eagles brought the points home on Saturday, as two of the second half subs combined to secure a 1-0 win at Barwell.
This was the perfect antidote to the midweek drubbing received at Telford, and also revenge for when the Leicestershire side won at the Eyrie in October.
Lack of goalmouth action gave the feeling that the first half was lasting ages, and it took just over the midway mark for some meaningful football to occur, as both sides seemed to huff and puff and cancel each other out.
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Hide AdOn this occasion, Jameson Horlick had to punch a teasing cross away, but didn’t need to worry about the follow up, as Jahdan Fridye-Harper shot high and wide.
Sam Brown then played the ball into a crowded area, and found Eddie Panter racing in, but the Bedford striker volleyed over the bar.
The most exciting move of the half came two minutes into added time, when Ethan Hill’s shot took a deflection onto the post before Horlick was able to drop onto the ball.
Ollie Bosworth, who made eight appearances with Bedford at the start of the season, was tested for the first time in the Barwell goal just three minutes into the second period, when he got down low to save from Junior Gyamfi.
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Hide AdBosworth then denied Gyamfi on 69 minutes with another good save.
In between, a couple of headers were off target for the home side, through Leroy Lita and Brady Hickey.
The champagne moment came on 74 minutes, as Bedford defended an attack.
The ball was played out to Sydney Ibie, who produced a sublime pass down the right for Bruno Andrade to race onto.
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Hide AdOutpacing the defence, Andrade, who had only been on the pitch four minutes, cut in to the right corner of the area to place the ball across goal and past Bosworth, to the delight of the travelling fans behind the goal.
Buoyed by the goal, the Eagles kept at their hosts, winning a corner via a 30-yard effort from Gyamfi that Bosworth had to push round the post.
From the corner, a defender headed the ball onto his own bar. After some toing and froing, the move ended with Bosworth saving from Ryan Blake.
Five minutes of added time was indicated, and in the second minute, Hill flashed a shot just wide of the mark.
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Hide AdA couple of minutes later, the same player was red carded for dissent after a penalty claim was waved away.
Bedford had to endure two more corners and a free kick from the home side before, in the 10th minute of added time, the referee finally blew the full time whistle.
Bedford next welcome Bromsgrove Sporting to the Eyrie on Saturday (3pm).