Leaders Bedford Town go into Easter games five points ahead

A stoppage-time winner by Dan Walker clinched an eventful 2-1 victory over Welwyn Garden City, after their hosts had led at half time.

Rene Howe equalised with 20 minutes to go and it looked as if Eagles would drop points, until the late strike turned their fortunes.

They played the last quarter of an hour with ten men after the sending off of Charley Sanders.

With Berkhamsted being held to a 3-3 draw at Ware, in a crucial weekend for the promotion rivals, Bedford now have a five-point lead at the top of the Southern League Division One Central table.

Eagles sit at the summit with 83 points from 34 games, with the Comrades on 78 from 35 outings.

But it’s not over yet as the Easter weekend brings two more games in three days.

Saturday sees AFC Dunstable visiting the Eyrie, with a tough game in prospect against their third-placed opponents.

Monday takes Eagles to midtable St Neots Town.

Berkhamsted host Harlow Town, currently in seventh spot, on Saturday and visit Aylesbury United on Monday.

Speaking in a club interview after the game, manager Gary Setchell said: “It’s still fifty-fifty, there’s a long way to go.

" I keep hearing that we are going to bottle it, but we are unbeaten in 22 games and have only lost one in 31.

"If people think we won’t see it through, that’s their opinion, but at the moment I don’t see it happening. I fancy us to get the four or five points from our last games.”

After their Easter double-header Bedford finish the league campaign at home to Aylesbury United on Saturday, April 23.

"Berko have been making it a bit easier for us as they keep stuttering, winning then drawing, which you can’t do at the business end of the season, you’ve got to grind out results and that’s what we’re doing,” said Setchell.

"There’s better teams than us failed from the position we are in, so we have just got to keep going.”

Eagles have scored 94 goals so far , conceding just 25.

"For me, whether we win it or not, we have been the most entertaining team in the league this year," he added . “Value for money.”