Four-goal salvo against Peterborough Sports shoots Bedford Town's Tyrone Marsh to top of the scoring chart
Tyrone Marsh went to the top of the National League North scoring chart with all the goals in Bedford’s 4-1 home win against Peterborough Sports on Tuesday evening.
It didn’t take long for Marsh to get on the score sheet, and had completed his hat-trick before half-time in front of a noisy Bedford contingent.
“That was a brilliant result and, credit to the boys with the way they've come back from that 7-1 mauling,” said manager Lee Bircham.
“Everyone thought the wheels had come off but it does not seeem to affect them and we've won two games.
“Marshy was the main man with four goals. He is everything to us.
“It's onto the next game now with Darlington away on Friday.
Bircham kept faith with the squad from Saturday’s win against Chorley, with the same starting line up, and he was repaid handsomely.
The Eagles took the game to their visitors from the start, and a good ball out of defence to Marsh, allowed him push the ball further for Ellis Brown, but it was a bit heavy, but still saw Harley Price rush out of his area to clear.
The scoring started in the sixth minute with a bad mistake from Price, that Marsh took full advantage of.
Ellis Brown won the ball on the right, passed to Jevani Brown, who in turn pushed the ball into the area for Marsh, but Price quickly narrowed the angle to save the Bedford forward’s effort.
The Peterborough keeper then put the ball down without checking where Marsh was, and he stole in, took the ball and stuck it into an empty net.
A few minutes later, Josh Castiglione went on a mazy run before shooting from the edge of the area, but straight into the arms of Price.
Two minutes later, on 15, Bedford doubled the lead when a Joe Payne shot was handled by Zak Willis, and the referee pointed to the spot.
Marsh stepped up and put the spot kick into the bottom left corner, sending Price the wrong way.
Marsh was definitely firing on all cylinders.
A couple of minutes later, he headed just over the bar from a corner, then, an audacious shot from the right byline, after Junior Gyamfi had released him on the right, had to be put off by Price.
Castiglione then played Ellis Brown through, and beating the offside trap, Ellis took the ball on and fired, but Price deflected the ball off.
Marsh completed his hat trick on 31 minutes, when his shot was saved by Price.
The rebound favoured the Bedford man, but as he rounded Willis, was upended.
Marsh put the ball to the right this time, and Price guessed right with a touch, but not enough.
Towards the end of the half, Sports looked more dangerous, and Connor Wood hit the inside of the left post from 20 yards, with the ball rebounding out.
Luca Miller then put a long range effort over the bar, before Bedford went back on the attack with a through ball from Ellis Brown to George Moncur, but he took the ball a bit too far, giving Peterborough a goal kick.
The visitors had their first corner on 45 minutes that Bedford defended, but in the fourth minute of added time, pulled a goal back when a move down the right allowed Max Booth to enter the area and fire across goal and in.
Sports kept up the pressure at the start of the 2nd half, when a cross into the area was headed by Shaq Coulthirst from close range, with Nathan Ashmore collecting on the line.
Ten minutes into the half there was a scuffle inside the centre circle, when Aaron Powell cynically brought down Ellis Brown.
Brown had to be restrained by Gyamfi, while the referee sorted everything else out.
With the home crowd baying for a red card, a yellow was produced for Powell, and that was the last of his game.
Despite coming on for Maliq Cadogan in the 27th minute, Powell was substituted straight after his yellow, with Kevin Joshua replacing him.
Joshua then only lasted 19 minutes before he too was substituted.
Back to the game, and Marsh went on a meandering run to the opposition area, but there were too many defenders crowding him.
Peterborough might have scored on the hour when Luca Miller connected with a Marcel Oakley cross, but Ashmore was in no mood to concede again, and saved at close range.
Ashmore then put the ball upfield for Ellis Brown to latch onto, but Price denied him again.
Bedford virtually put the game to bed on 76 minutes with a lovely move that involved Greg Taylor moving the ball out of defence to find Ellis Brown on the right.
Brown got into the area with just Price to beat, but opted to square for Marsh to put the ball in the net for his and Bedford’s fourth of the game.
The Eagles sat back a bit more to frustrate Peterborough, and a good shot on the turn from Coulthirst forced Ashmore to push the ball round the post.
Bedford did have the ball in the net for a fifth time with two minutes of normal time remaining, after Marsh had played through to Josh Dawodu to lift the ball over Price, but the flag had already been raised for offside.
Added time belonged to the away side, as Booth headed from close range into the arms of Ashmore.
Coulthirst then won a corner when Carl Mensah deflected his angled drive off.
The last action was a long pass into the Bedford area that Ashmore swept up.