Bedford Town beat King's Lynn Town to end magnificent 2025 on a high

For Bedford, the victory ended a seven game winless streak, and pushed the side up one place to 17th in National League North.

Boss Lee Bircham said: “That has been coming for weeks and weeks.

“We have been so unlucky of late, but we worked hard today and got our rewards.

“If you support Bedford Town, I think you could be supporting them another 70 years and I don't think you're going to get a better calendar year than 2025.

“We have to appreciate that this has been a special year, though we know next year will hard trying to stay in this league.”

Bircham made two changes from the side that drew at Leamington on Boxing Day, with Ellis Brown and Josh Dawodu coming in for Carl Mensah and Callum Ebanks.

1,026 supporters braved the cold conditions to witness a fairly entertaining match, that sprang to life after only five minutes, when a Bedford free kick into the area was played back by Ryan Doherty to Junior Gyamfi, on the edge of the box, and his dink forward found Greg Taylor, who controlled, turned and shot, sticking the ball through the legs of Paul Jones to give Bedford the lead and earn him his first goal in an Eagles shirt.

A couple of minutes before the goal, King’s Lynn had their own effort from a free kick, but Thomas Wilson headed wide.

The visitors came back, and Ross Crane pulled a shot wide, and Morgan Williams was denied with a deflected ball that gave King’s Lynn a corner that was defended.

The Eagles soaked up a fair bit of pressure, and one well worked move tested Nathan Ashmore with a save from Crane.

The Linnets equalised from the penalty spot through captain, Michael Clunan, as he leathered the ball past Ashmore, after La-Sean Sealey was brought down in a crowded area.

To try to retake the lead, Jago Godden’s teasing cross evaded everyone, then Tyrone Marsh’s measured 25-yarder was captured by Jones.

Just before the break, Ebanks replaced the injured Manny Maja.

The first try of the second half went begging for King’s Lynn, when William van Lier put in a cross that was too good to miss, but was.

Ebanks then headed a cross goal wards, but there was no power to bother Jones.

On the hour mark, Crane’s square ball found Williams, whose side footed shot caused Ashmore problems when he couldn’t properly collect the ball, but managed to get it at the second go.

Three minutes later another cross from van Lier wasn’t missed, and Crane rose to power a header into the net to give the Linnets the lead.

As the away side comfortably kept Bedford at bay, a mistake allowed the equaliser, when a Gyamfi cross from the left was dropped by Jones, and a mini scramble ensued before the ball rolled to Godden, and he sent the ball back, with interest.

The Eagles looked the more likelier side to score next, and a Gyamfi stinger was blocked, then from a corner, Taylor fired from an acute angle, and just wide of the mark.

Bedford retook the lead with three minutes of normal time remaining, as Greg Sandiford put over a corner kick right to Mensah, who headed past Jones, but it seemed, not through Crane.

The assistant had his flag up to indicate the ball had crossed the line, and with the Bedford celebrations, the visiting players were pleading for the decision to be overturned.

On the cusp of added time, following a King’s Lynn corner, the ball was cleared away from the line, and there were loud shouts for a penalty, but the referee remained impassive.

Bedford made sure of the game in the fourth minute of stoppage time, when a King’s Lynn corner was defended, with Mensah playing the ball to Ebanks, just short of the halfway line.

Ebanks tussled for the ball with Simone Troso, and finally getting the better of him just before the area.

With Jones to beat, the forward took the ball on, and placed it past the advancing ‘keeper, to see it hit the back of the net via the right hand post, and deflate the opposition faster than an untied balloon.