​More dismay for Bedford Town while Ampthill march on and Kempston fall to defeat

Luke Ingram’s goal early in the second-half condemned Graeme Tomlinson’s men to their fifth league defeat in a row, and going into this weekend’s games they are three points from safety and with clubs above them having games in hand.

They include Needham Market whose win moved them five points clear of Bedford, just days after the Eagles were beaten 3-0 at home by another relegation rival, Stratford Town.

The Eagles did overcome hosts Arlesey Town 5-0 in the Bedfordshire Senior Cup on Tuesday night, but speaking to Eagles TV after the defeat on Saturday, Tomlinson was again unhappy with his side’s performance.

He said: “It’s getting very difficult at the moment. We changed the system and went more for a 4-3-3 with a high tempo and to try and press them.

"First-half I thought we did OK, defended well and won plenty in the middle, and created a few chances but perhaps made the wrong choices at the key moment.

"We’ve gone from a free-flowing team scoring lots of goals to not creating the chances which we were before.

"They then came into it in the second-half and got their goal but we then didn’t really test their keeper.”

Bedford now prepare to go to title-challengers Coalville Town on Saturday, before hosting another top five side in Nuneaton Borough a week later.

​*Ampthill Town have been picking up valuable points on the road over the last month but returned home last weekend to boost their play-off hopes in front of their own fans (writes Eric Turner)

They celebrated their return to the Park with a 3-1 win over resurgent Burton Park Wanderers with a brace from Sam Holmes before half-time and a strike from Phil Draycott in the second period.

It keeps the Amps in third place and though they have a tough schedule ahead, their showing on Saturday showed plenty of graft and commitment against a well-organised Wanderers.

Town face a quick return trip to Burton Park on Saturday before hosting Buckingham Athletic on Tuesday.

*Kempston Rovers fell 2-1 at home to Didcot on Saturday despite Ben Stevens’ equaliser after an hour . They go to Kidlington on Saturday.