The FA Cup dream of reaching the 1st round is over for Bedford for this season after the side lost 1-0 at Ryman Premier Division side Hampton & Richmond Borough on Saturday afternoon in the 2nd qualifying round.
It could have been so different had a moment of indecision in the 1st half been dealt with, well, differently, and a debatable decision, on the cusp of full time, been called - and here’s the word again - differently.
Overall the match was less than appealing, although the opening 15 minutes showed promise, and the only goal of the game.
Within five of those minutes, Taylor Rhiney - starting at the expense of an injured Sam Gyasi - elected to shoot from outside the area after the referee had waved play on to a foul on Paul Cooper, and the ball had rolled into Rhiney’s path. The strike was accurate enough to produce a save from Rodney Chiweshe, but needed a little more oomph.
The only goal of the game came in the 13th minute when James Simmonds’ hopeful ball into the area should have been dealt with by John Sonuga, but the defender looked as though he was in two minds whether to head or kick the ball - electing on the latter, which in hindsight (and it’s always the way) was the poorer decision, as Charlie Moone came racing in to seize the ball and clip it over Dan Green from an angle on the left.
The response from the Eagles came from Lorenzo Ferrari, whose little shimmy, after receiving the ball from a Cooper throw, took him past a defender and into the area, but the resulting shot cleared the bar.
Bedford’s best chance to equalise came on 28 minutes. A little melee and scramble, on the left side of the centre circle, came to an end when Andrew Phillips played a sublime diagonal cross to Ashley Farmer. Farmer skipped past Marcus Rose and with just Chiweshe to beat, struck the ball just past the left hand post.
The final ball wasn’t on show, although a snapshot from Rhiney forced Chiweshe to parry and collect the ball before Phillips could pounce onto the rebound.
The hosts ended the half looking the stronger side, and Dan Green had to be alert when Moone’s improvised shot from the right corner of the area floated towards the net before the Bedford guardian pushed it off for a corner.
The 2nd half was scrappy. Early on, Dan Thompson headed against the Bedford bar following a corner, and just before the hour, Jordan Jarrold put in an inch perfect tackle to deny Moone after he had rounded Green.
On 72 minutes Ferrari, after one of his now trademark runs, squared the ball to Phillips, who managed to find space between three defenders before shooting, but the shot lacked pace and Chiweshe saved.
With 15 minutes to go, Lee Bearman went for a different style up front and brought on Jordan Patrick and Claude Seanla for Ferrari and Phillips, and with just under 10 minutes remaining, Omar McLeary-Stephens entered the fray with Jarrold sacrificed, to add a bit of height to the attack as Bedford went for the equaliser.
Seanla narrowly cleared the bar with a header with six minutes to go, but the debatable decision occurred in the 90th minute when Paul Cooper - surging forward with the ball in an attempt to get a clear sight of goal - was cynically fouled just as he looked to have entered the area. Without consulting his assistant, Mr. Gillett, the referee blew for a foul on the edge of the area, when just about everyone in the ground expected him to point at the spot. after the dust had settled, Seanla took the free kick, but the overwhelming number of Hampton players homing in on the struck ball combined to clear.

Eagles: Dan Green, Paul Cooper, Jordan Jarrold (Omar McLeary-Stephens 81), David Femiola, John Sonuga, Jeremy Nash, Ashley Farmer, Curtis Shaw, Andrew Phillips [c] (Jordan Patrick 77), Taylor Rhiney, Lorenzo Ferrari (Claude Seanla 77).
Subs not used: Eugene Asante, Kerran Birch.

Beavers: Rodney Chiweshe, Tommy Brewer, George Wells, Stuart Lake, Marcus Rose, Justyn Roberts, Joe Turner, Karle Carder, Dan Thompson (Jordan Rocastle 64), Charlie Moone (Alvin Pilgramm 70), James Simmonds [c] (Darren Powell 87).
Subs not used: Harry Mills, Reece Brewster.