Tyrone Marsh’s 16th league goal of the season was not enough to stop a Peterborough Sports side in resurgent form, as a Luca Miller double helped Phil Brown’s team to a 3-1 victory on Tuesday night (25 November).
The loss is a third in a row in all competitions for the Eagles, who drop to 16th in National League North.
A mere fortnight ago, Peterborough Sports were struggling in 23rd, but back-to-back wins have now propelled them out of the relegation zone and up to 19th, while Bedford Town have hit a slightly muddy patch with four losses in five league games.
Manager, Lee Bircham had warned his side that he didn’t want to see three consecutive games without a goal, and while he wasn’t let down by his main man Marsh in that department on Tuesday, he was left to rue the impact of young Miller up the other end.
Peterborough were ahead after 12 minutes.
Sam Straughan-Brown was the goalscorer, cutting inside from the right wing and firing through a crowded penalty area and past Nathan Ashmore to put Sports in the ascendency.
However, within seven minutes, Bedford Town had equalised and it came thanks to a now familiar source, as Tyrone Marsh ran on to a Joe Andrews through ball to slot home past Peter Crook in the Peterborough goal to restore parity.
Ashmore was on hand to keep the score at one apiece with two key saves; first from Connor Wood before the Bedford shot stopper denied a confident Straughan-Brown who left fly from an acute angle as both sides went into the sheds at 1-1.
Quickfire Miller double downs Bedford
Just seven minutes into the second half, Peterborough Sports were back in front.
Connor Wood’s cross found Ben Beresford in the area, but his shot was miskicked into the path of Luca Miller who had the freedom of Peterborough to poke home from six yards out.
The sucker punch came almost instantly, as Miller found himself in space again on the left hand side, finding the opposite corner past the outstretched hand of Ashmore to give Sports a two goal cushion.
The former Kettering Town man could have had a hat-trick; an excellent effort from distance flew over before he almost became the beneficiary of a misjudgement from an onrushing Ashmore, before he was saved by decisive defending from Cole Kpekawa.
Lee Bircham rang the changes for the Eagles, and they had late chances to get back into the game, led by a Greg Sandiford flick that was expertly kept out by Crook, with Junior Gyamfi and Marsh efforts also smothered in the latter stages by a dedicated Peterborough defence.
Greg Taylor also had a shot blocked, but it became a fruitless second half for Bedford, as Peterborough Sports held on for the victory.
For Bedford Town, the challenges keep on coming as three of their next four fixtures are against sides currently occupying play-off spots, beginning with Darlington, who make the long trip to The Eyrie this coming Saturday (29 November).
