Impressive 10-men Bedford Town halt year-long unbeaten home record for Chester
Bedford Town look to have turned a corner in the National League North after a magnificent 2-1 away victory against Chester when they had to play much of the second half with 10 men after Sam Brown was sent off.
It backed up the win over Oxford City and edged the promoted Eagles up to 15th in the table, and more importantly, six points above the drop zone.
It was also a first home defeat for Chester in just over a year as the Eagles stunned the home crowd with a goal in each half with some superb defending and goalkeeping, especially a double save from Nathan Ashmore.
Chester started well and a Dylan Mottley-Henry effort flew over the bar while Eddie Panter forced George Murray-Jones into the first save of the day.
On 18 minutes the Eagles took the lead when Josh Phillips on the left wing put in a cross that was just right for the head of Doherty, and the defender opened his goal account with a well placed header into the bottom corner. .
Leon Lobjoit came off injured in the 34th minute, to be replaced by Brown, who had been injured since the middle of September.
As the half entered the last 10 minutes, Junior Gyamfi went on a mazy run from just inside the home half, and fired just over the bar from the edge of the area and Ashmore produced a good save to turn the ball round the post from Nathan Woodthorpe’s stinging shot.
The hosts started the second half with a header that came off the top of the bar, then on 49 minutes, gained a man advantage when Brown, who had been on the pitch for a total of 15 minutes, was given a straight red card when he went in for a tackle that had Jack Bainbridge falling to the floor.
Chester upped the ante and perhaps the defining moment of the match came in the 67th minute, when an attempted lob by Leigh caught Ashmore out, and the Bedford keeper backpedalled and stretched up to tip the ball onto the bar, then got up and smothered the rebounded effort from Peers in a one-on-one situation.
A sucker punch allowed Bedford a second goal, in the 77th minute, when the side was allowed a respite with a free kick on the left wing.
Phillips took the kick, and at the far post Marsh was on hand to get control and fire home, with Doherty jumping over the ball as it was finding its way into the bottom right hand corner.
Ashmore then had to push Bainbridge’s effort round the post, following a free kick.
Five minutes added time was indicated, and in the fourth of those added minutes, Chester pulled a goal back to deny Bedford a fourth clean sheet in a row.
Declan Weeks pushed in a cross that was not dealt properly with, and Bainbridge headed past Ashmore, who looked as though he could palm the ball away, but Arthur, on the goal line, put his boot in the right place to direct the ball away from Ashmore and into the net.