Ten-man Leiston condemned Real Bedford to their first league defeat in 11 games after withstanding a second half barrage to hold on to a 1-0 victory thanks to Eddie Jackson’s lone first half goal.
Their task was made all the more difficult by a straight red card for Kyle Callan-McFadden after 35 minutes, but they managed to hold on for well over an hour to put a dent in Real Bedford’s Southern League play-off hopes.
Real Bedford had found themselves up in third in Southern League Premier Central after solid league form throughout October and November, but came unstuck in Suffolk despite playing over an hour with a man advantage.
Early chances fell to Leiston’s Harvey Sayer, who first saw a free kick sail over, before Craig King beat away a second chance with his feet, while Ronnie Blois headed over another good opportunity as the hosts started the better.
Their first half confidence paid dividends on the half hour mark as a Sayer cross was met by the head of Eddie Jackson at the far post to give Leiston the lead, although defending it would turn into an almighty challenge moments after.
A late tackle on Ben Weyman from Kyle Callan-McFadden saw the Leiston man receive his marching orders, and from there, they set up a barricade to try and keep Real at bay for over an hour.
And they did just that.
Up until then, Real had struggled to impose themselves on the game, but late first half chances for Ben Stevens and Josh Allen – both of which were denied by the goalscorer Jackson, and goalkeeper Billy Johnson – was a taste of things to come in the second half.
Leiston barricade stands tall
Real Bedford had chances galore in the second half, but all of them fell by the wayside.
Allen saw his shot blocked within 90 seconds of the restart, while substitute Rio Deall shot over from an acute angle and Drew Richardson saw a header blocked on the goal line as the Pirates began their descent on Leiston territory.
Further chances fell to Allen and Stevens, while Leiston were throwing bodies in the way of crosses and pot shots, successfully keeping goalkeeper, Johnson from having to work too hard.
Leiston’s defence was led superbly by match winner, Jackson and Seb Dunbar, while Real Bedford were not helping themselves in being caught by consistent offside flags as they flooded forwards.
Manager, Rob Sinclair threw on attacking player after attacking player, and it was one of those subs in Joey Evans who thought he had secured the equaliser, only for his celebration to be stopped in its tracks by an offside flag.
Deall otherwise had the best chance to equalise with the clock approaching 90 minutes, but he fired over from close range.
Conor Tee was also thwarted in the closing stages, as Leiston celebrated a well-deserved rearguard effort that takes them four points from the play-off places in Southern League Premier Central.
Real Bedford drop to fifth, overtaken by Quorn and Needham Market after their respective victories against St Ives and Alvechurch, while Redditch slide to sixth after they were dismantled 7-0 by new league leaders, Spalding.
The Pirates are back on the road in seven days’ time, as they travel back to Lye Meadow to face Alvechurch; a side who knocked them out of the FA Trophy at the beginning of the month.
