Mixed week for Eagles, Rovers are beaten and Real go 14 clear

Afolabi Soyemi-Ololade celebrates his goal against Coalville. Photo by Adrian Brown.

On Saturday they produced a fine home performance to see off promotion-chasing Coalville Town, who were winners over Notts County in the FA Cup the week previously and who go to Charlton Athetic in the first round (proper) next month.

But on Tuesday night visitors Alvechurch ran out 3-0 winners at The Eyrie – the West Midlands side also having made the FA Cup first round and earned a visit to Cheltenham Town.

Saturday’s game saw Connor Tomlinson and Afolabi Soyemi-Ololade get the goals to see off Coalville in a 2-1 win.

Tomlinson’s strike came barely two minutes into the game, controlling and finishing at the back post from a Drew Richardson cross.

Soyemi-Ololade then doubled the lead just before half-time when he took Hugh Alban-Jones’ pass and outmuscled a defender before firing home.

Coalville pulled one back late on through Ash Chambers, but Bedford hung on to take the points.

Boss Gary Setchell told EaglesTV afterwards: “Coalville are a top side and we showed a lot of grit, determination, heart and played some good counter-attacking football.

"We didn’t let them have too many clear opportunities on goal and had to out-work them as they had a lot more of the ball and to a man our players were excellent.”

Tuesday’s game against Alvechurch proved a different story, Leo Brown putting the visitors in front just before half-time and Jed Abbey and Dan Waldron securing the points in the second-half.

Setchell said: “We could have been one or two in front at half-time so I was gutted for the boys we went in behind, and that knocked the win out of our sails as we didn’t really get going in the second-half and create much, and Alvechurch closed the game out really well and frustrated us.”

Bedford now go to Needham Market on Saturday, remarkably another side who have been drawn against League One opposition in the FA Cup as they will visit Burton Albion.

Elsewhere, Kempston Rovers, fifth in SPL Division One Central, were beaten 4-1 Hadley on Saturday. They welcome Ware on Saturday.

Real Bedford , meanwhile, won 2-1 at Moulton on Saturday thanks to goals from Jim Burnside and Harry Murray, and are 14 points clear at the top of Spartan South Midlands Division One.