Bedford Town stung by giantkilling as they exit FA Trophy to Anstey Nomads

The winning goal came immediately after the restart, when the Leicestershire side, two steps below Bedford in the pyramid, took the lead that they never looked like relinquishing.

Lee Bircham made three changes to the side that beat Buxton in midweek, as Ryan Doherty, Shaun Jeffers, and Eddie Panter started over Ryan Blackman (cup tied), Ellis Brown (injured), and Cole Kpekawa.

As the game started a bit brighter than the weather, a chance came to Bedford with a Sam Brown throw directed goalwards by a Bedford head in the crowded area, and Anthony Nunez was quick to get down to save.

Anstey liked to get down the wings, and one cross from Courey Grantham begged for a touch, but the ball rolled harmlessly across goal and off.

Junior Gyamfi then set himself up for a shot, but it dipped too late as it went over the bar.

A series of corners to the Eagles midway through the half saw defenders get in the way of shots and crosses, until Josh Phillips curled in a kick that had Nunez scrabbling to get the ball away from under the bar, before a dink back into the danger zone allowed Jeffers a header that the visiting keeper saved.

At the other end, Liam Murphy put an effort wide, and another cross went begging until Oscar Tonge came in from the other side and shot against the sidenetting from an angle.

Late in the half, Bedford had two counters from Anstey corners, as Nathan Ashmore released Gyamfi down the left, who pushed it to Panter, but the striker couldn’t beat Nunez.

Panter then had another chance from the second counter and again Nunez pushed the ball away.

Phillips then curled another corner in again, and a defender headed off the line.

However, 20 seconds after the restart, Anstey took the lead with the eventual winning goal.

As they attacked from kick off, a square ball from the right of the area found Tonge, on his own on the left side and, although his shot looked to have been caught by Ashmore, the ball squirmed free, and continued its journey over the line.

Instead of Bedford retaliating with 44 minutes still to go, it was the away side that took control of the game with a confidence that it was their day.

Winning two corners not long after the goal, Anstey tested the defence again.

Two Bedford free kicks came and went, as Phillips put the first wide, as did Tyrone Marsh with the second one.

With an hour gone, Anstey had their own flurry of corners, before the third one was played too deep and went off.

As the game entered the last 20 minutes, a Brown cross was headed by Panter into the path of Marsh, but with a battalion of players between him and the goal, the forward could only find a small gap, but still forced Nunez into a save.

Into the 80th minute a second goal should have been added to the tally, when Nyle Blake squared a pass to Josh Burniston, but with the goal at his mercy, he put the shot wide.

A free kick to Bedford, just right of the D, was their last chance, as Marsh beat both the wall and bar.

The side will now look to pick up the pieces and travel to Chorley on Saturday in National League North action then take the shorter trip to Peterborough Sports three days later.