Draw with Harborough Town keeps Bedford Town top of the table

There was no change to the top four as all the sides drew, so Eagles travel as the top team to Lowestoft on Saturday before coming back to the Eyrie on Easter Saturday to face Stratford Town.

Although the visitors could count themselves unlucky not to have taken the points back to Leicestershire, based on their second half performance, with Bedford going in at the break a goal to the good, boss Lee Bircham said: “It as a really excellent point at this stage of the season against a team with a really strong squad.

“I don’t think we were bang on it today. There were some indifferent performances, but the players have worked their socks off this season, and there are going to be times where we don’t get the rub of the green.

“In the heat today, we were forced to play some lads who weren’t feeling well, including Jonathan MacAuley in goal, and he got through the game, and produced a couple of good saves.

“It was one of those games today. A draw was a fair result, and they (Harborough) can’t say they should have won it, and neither can we say the same.

“I told the lads that we would have crumbled six months ago after they scored, but we're a different proposition now and it’s really pleasing.”

The only goal of the first 45 minutes came after eight of them, when Leon Lobjoit, on receipt of a ball played into the visiting area, twisted and turned, but slipped, letting the ball roll away, but only to Junior Gyamfi, who struck a low, first time shot across goal, past Elliott Taylor and into the net. The Bees retaliated immediately and a 20-yarder from Josh Walsh just cleared the bar.

Ryan Blake then tested Taylor, before the Bedford wall denied Ben Stephens’ free kick from just outside the area.

Both defences stood firm in defiance, and when the keepers were called into action, the last line of defence was not breached.

The next half was more Harborough, as they took the game to Bedford from the off, and within seconds a cross caught out Jonathan MacAulay, but Carl Mensah was on hand to clear.

Another corner to the visitors saw Jutorre Burgess fall from a challenge, but instead of a penalty, he earned a place in the referee’s book for his protestations.

Bedford then had a couple of chances with Eddie Panter and Blake going close. Burgess then forced a great save off MacAulay from his curling shot.

The Bedford keeper then snuffed out a low cross just before the equaliser in the 65th minute, when Alex Morris found a gap in the defence following a long throw from Daniel Cooper, to glance a header into the net.

Despite countering when they could, as the away side pressed, Bedford could have provided a smash and grab when Mensah’s header was cleared away from near the line by Walsh.

Burgess and Ben Starkie provided the speed, and at one point, the latter looked to have the ball glued to his feet.

The double sending off in the fifth minute of added time could have been avoided.

Paul Malone, who had only been on the field since the 81st minute, lumbered after a through ball that was being marshalled by Mensah for MacAulay to pick up, only to crash into the Bedford defender for a stonewall free kick, but the referee kept his whistle away from his lips.

MacAulay then rolled the ball out to Harlain Mbayo, who took the ball towards the halfway line. Just as the defender played the ball forward, Malone lumbered into him with a very clumsy challenge, and Mbayo retaliated.

Most of the players entered the fray, and once this had died down, and the referee had consulted his assistant, showed the red card to Mbayo, then to Malone.