Bedford Town win at Leiston to go top with just five games to play

Two excellent goals from Lewis Hilliard and a gritty performance in a far from classic game secured the crucial victory.

Boss Lee Bircham kept the same starting line up - including subs - that dismantled Stamford the previous week - a luxury that he has not been afforded this season.

Bedford had the better start with a Junior Gyamfi effort from distance after only two minutes.

A couple of minutes later, as he ran onto a through ball and bore down on goal, Eddie Panter was tackled by last man Eddie Jackson.

But the referee saw nothing in the challenge and waved play on.

George Quantrell put a header over the Eagles’ bar following a corner, then another corner to the home side evaded everyone to go off the other side.

Leiston might have taken the lead on 35 minutes when a long throw found Ben Fowkes, but his cheeky backheel just failed to find the target.

Tempers became frayed towards half-time when the referee awarded the home side a free kick after a long throw into the Leiston area saw William Johnson impeded.

Whatever happened prompted the home players to surround the referee and Panter was given a yellow card.

A couple of minutes later, Jackson fell rather theatrically when challenged by Panter and the home fans and players bayed for a second yellow, and tempers spilled over as a melee of pushing and shoving ensued.

When all had died down, the referee had a word with both captains and left it at that.

In added time, Bedford keeper Jonathan MacAuley had a couple of nightmare moments when kicking out.

His first one had height but no length, and was returned into his arms as Adam Mills tried a spectacular volley.

The second one saw the Eagles’ guardian slip as he kicked the ball and Leiston tried to gain an advantage, but the resulting shot that came in was blocked by Harlain Mbayo.

Just after the break, Panter stretched for a diagonal pass from Gyamfi, shot and narrowly missed the target with Johnson unable to reach the ball.

MacAuley then made a good save at his right hand post after a cross from Mills was directed goal wards by Fowkes.

Instead, Bedford took the lead on 59 minutes with a sublime effort from Hilliard.

A corner was half cleared out to Gyamfi, who played the ball back in.

Johnson punched away, but only to the Bedford No.7, on the left corner of the area.

With everyone thinking he was going to play the ball in, Hilliard chipped the ball over Johnson into the top right corner of the net.

A home corner three minutes later saw MacAuley punch the ball away.

But on 71 minutes Bedford added a second when Leon Lobjoit was released down the left and crossed in.

The ball wasn’t cleared properly, and went straight to Hilliard, on the edge of the area, and the midfielder had time to find his spot to drill the ball into the bottom right of the goal, giving Johnson no chance.

That was the last kick for Hilliard, as he was replaced by Huw Dawson just before the restart.

A weird offside flag then baffled everyone as Lobjoit put over a corner from the right to the far post.

The ball was returned to him courtesy of a wayward defending boot, and the assistant immediately put his flag up.

The home side didn’t manage to threaten the Bedford goal in the latter stages, mainly due to the solid defending of the back four.

Just before the final whistle, Bedford almost added a third when Khanya Leshabela dispossessed a defender during a mix-up and gave the ball to Bruno Andrade, who set himself up for a low shot that Johnson dived to save

The Eagles have another hard fixture this Saturday when play-off candidates Harborough Town visit the Eyrie (3pm).​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​