High above The A421 fireworks exploded in the night sky as referee Alan Young blows full time at The Eyrie. Below the crashes, bangs and crackles of Roman Candles a jubilant Lee Bircham leaps into the air in celebration of a league double over Welwyn Garden City. The timing of the firework display confused the players and staff of The Citizens, with club physio Rachel Wong asking Bedford’s kit man Ian Chandler, “Do you do that every time you win?!” The source of the twinkling light show was of course from neighbouring club Real Bedford who beat London Lions 2-0 to deservingly be crowned Champions of the Spartan Spartan South Midlands Premier Division. Congratulations to the Pirates who will play step four football next season.

But metaphorical fireworks were exploding for all involved with Bedford Town. Another valiant display from The Eagles, five goals and most importantly a win that keeps the title hopes well and truly still alive.

Ryan Blake led the team out, standing in as captain once again for the injured Alex Collard and Bedford looked well up for the game. The Welwyn Garden City line-up featured former Bedford striker Lynton Goss, who has been scoring for fun this season. If Bedford could keep Goss quiet, whilst carrying their form from the previous 7-0 hammering of Hertford Town, this game was there for the taking. Referee Chaolun Tan (who was scheduled to be the assistant referee for this game, but was handed the whistle by injured referee Stuart Burt), got the game underway.

Eagles Explosive Start

On Saturday, it only took Bedford two minutes to open the scoring through Liam Dulson. Tonight it was Leon Lobjoit who fired in Bedford’s first goal of the evening. Kyle Connolly closed down a City throw-in and intercepted Emmanuel Yeboah’s first touch, dancing across the 18 yard box and squaring to Leon Lobjoit who shifted the ball onto his favoured left foot and fired into the bottom right corner of the net. 1-0 Bedford.

Lobjoit fires in his 12th goal of the season

Welwyn reacted well from going a goal down, working the channels well and getting Lynton Goss and Dernell Wynter into the game as much as possible. But young loanees Josh Mullins and Charlie Stallard dealt with their threats well. On one occasion, a switch of play from the Citizens brought Wynter inside and he let off a left footed shot from range, but it was just wide of Mark Smith’s post.

Leon Lobjoit, now on 12 goals for the season, was threatening the Welwyn back line, twisting and turning his marker and finding space to attack. At the quarter of an hour mark, Lobjoit worked it well with Liam Dulson to set up a dangerous counter. Dulson sprinted to the far post awaiting Lobjoit's cross from the right, but the ball in was marginally too low and cleared by the head of Josh Bryant.

A complete team performance...

Just before the half hour mark, young Henry Dudley, who has cemented a place in the starting 11 with his performances of late, won the ball from his man in the middle of the park and drove past Bradley Wadkins, then played a perfect through ball to Liam Dulson to put the striker one-one-one with Charlie Crowley in goal. Dulson held off the back tracking Harvey Steel but couldn’t quite get the ball out of his feet. Dulson still managed to shift the ball onto his left foot and tried to chip it over the on rushing Crowley, but the keeper spread his arms and saved well.

Minutes later, and Dulson was back on the attack, latching onto a lovely lofted pass from Blake and out-pacing his marker. Emmanuel Yeboah couldn’t handle Dulson’s pace and Dulson was one-on-one with Crowley again. This time the angle was tougher and Crowley saved again.

Bedford kept the intensity up, threatening a tired looking Welwyn Garden City, rightly so, after playing 7 games in 16 days. The counter attack was likely to be the source of a second goal for Bedford. Ryan Blake was next to cause problems for Marc Weatherstone’s side, the 32 year-old driving and out-strengthening his man, as he always does, with the energy of a young 17 year-old in his prime. Nobody could keep up with Blake’s pace and strength. Just after the half hour mark, a Charlie Stallard headed clearance beat everyone and Blake was determined to get into the end of the clearance. He showed why he’s one of the favourites to take the Supporters Player of the Season award, by driving his run towards the onrushing Charlie Crowley. But Crowley, who was having a great game, was back out to smother Blake’s shot and deny Bedford their second of the night.

Thirty seconds later and a really well worked play from right to left saw Charlie Stallard with time to pick out Blake again. A faked shot with his right foot sent Yasin Boodhoo to the shops and Blake shot with his left instead. Crowley was there once again but this time his presence was enough to put off Blake’s shot which whistled past the far post and out for a goal kick.

Another thirty seconds later, the ball immediately made its way back to Blake on the left wing who ran past full back Harvey Steel. The backtracking Alex Harris did well to win the ball back for City, but Blake’s strength and desire was, once again, superior, and won a free kick to Bedford near the corner flag.

Leon Doubles the Lead

On the 37 minute mark, Carl Mensah who was bandaged after a head clash last bank holiday weekend against Biggleswade Town, was surely having a nosebleed now, when he found himself on the byline on the end of a beautiful lofted through ball from Adam Martin. Mensah’s cross to find Blake’s run was too low and cleared by Josh Bryant. The clearance was however poor and fell to the feet of the worst possible player he could imagine… Leon Lobjoit. Lobjoit’s first touch was perfect and teed up another chance from 20 yards, which he comfortably smashed into the bottom left corner of the net. 2-0 Bedford.

The half time whistle couldn’t come soon enough for Marc Weatherstone’s side, who were (understandingly so) huffing and puffing already. They managed to see out the remainder of the half unscathed not for want of trying on Bedford’s part. Blake was a non-stop threat and hit the side netting on 44 minutes; Lobjoit had two more chances to bag a first half hat-trick, once when Liam Dulson laid the ball back on a plate for the striker to shoot over the bar, and again when Ryan Blake played him in on the right side and his left footed shot was saved by the feet of Crowley.

Eventually, the half did end and Bedford were jubilant going into the changing rooms with a two goal lead, albeit it could have been more, but for the heroic goalkeeping of Charlie Crowley. Stand-in referee Chaloun Tan limped off the pitch and appeared to be injured too. The officials had to draft in a third referee for the evening, who drove down to The Eyrie, only delaying kick-off by 5-10 minutes. It must be noted that the response time and problem solving of the Beds FA was faultless tonight.

Eagles Refuse to take foot off the gas

The second half was underway and desperate to capitalise on a tired and ‘leggy’ Welwyn Garden City side, Bedford’s intensity level didn’t drop off. Liam Dulson came close to a third for Bedford two minutes in, when he shifted the ball onto his right foot and fired inches wide of the post.

On the 50 minute mark, Charlie Stallard cut out a Welwyn counter and cleared to Lobjoit to set the ball for Kyle Connolly whose first touch dinked it up in a few inches for a volley and the lofted a through ball to Ryan Blake’s pacey run. The striker tried to square to Dulson but the City defence cleared, only as far as Lobjoit, who was there yet again to latch onto the ball and fire first time past Charlie Crowley for his hat trick and 14th goal of the season. 3-0 Bedford.

A first Eagles hat-trick for Leon Lobjoit!

Five minutes later, and Mark Smith, who was a mere bystander for most of the game, was forced to come and catch a cross that came from a well worked City move on the right flank. The shot stopper was ready to out jump Goss and quickly get the ball back down the pitch. Welwyn cleared the long ball but Lobjoit was there to win the ball back.

An hour had passed and Bedford extended their lead again through Kyle Connolly. A Welwyn garden City thrown-in was broken down by Henry Dudley who drove forward and found Liam Dulson on the right wing who timed his run well to stay onside. Dulson ran the line and picked out Kyle Connolly at the far post who controlled the ball and slotted it past the onrushing Crowley to make it 4-0 Bedford.

Kyle Connolly is as cool as you like to slot it past Crowley and make it 4-0

Three minutes later and Bedford almost had a fifth. A long throw from Stallard was flicked on well by Adam Martin to the head of Ryan Blake. Blake’s header was destined for inside the far post but the heroic Charlie Crowley was there to save Welwyn once again and claw the ball away.

Welwyn Garden City had their first big chance of the game on 71 minutes when Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo beat Stallard down the right flank and fed Lynton Goss. Goss played the ball across the goal line and Josh Mullins thought he could usher it out of play, but Welwyn’s captain Bradley Wadkins was there to the convert the ball into the net. 4-1 Bedford

Two minutes later and Welwyn almost had a second goal, when Josh Bryant won the ball and drove forward to play in Lynton Goss. The striker shifted the ball onto his right foot and curled a cross-come-shot towards the far post. But it neither went in, nor was it converted by the run of Bradley Wadkins.

Ten minutes before the 90, Bedford put the game fully to bed when Charlie Stallard cut out a Welwyn clearance and passed it forward to Dulson. The striker, who had been tireless all evening (just as he is most weeks), had his back to goal around 30 yards out. He held off his marker, shifted his feet and fired a rocket of a shot to the keeper’s right to make it 5-1 to Bedford.

Dulson scores his 23rd goal of the season (sixth for Bedford) and remains the league top scorer by three goals

The final changes of the game were made by Lee Bircham, which saw goalscorers Kyle Connoly and Liam Dulson rested in place of Fernando Bell-Toxtle and club captain Alex Collard. The Eagles fans were delighted to see the skipper back and returning from injury to see out this game. The returning Jack Green was also subbed by Cole Dasilva.

Referee Alan Young called time on proceedings and Bedford were victorious. News from down the Road in Biggleswade were sparking excitement amongst fans where Hadley were 2-1 up against The Waders. However, that was quickly nullified when Biggleswade scored a 95th minute equaliser. Nevertheless, Bedford’s win close the gap to three points at the top of the table with two games each to play. More so, 12 goals in two games for Lee Bircham’s side increases Bedford’s goal difference to +4 against The Waders, which could prove vital if that three point gap is closed to zero in the coming days.