Perfect 10 for Bedford as winning run hits double figures

With the game re-arranged due to the indoor commitments of Lought’s, the maroons were without several key figures including captain Rachel Jackson, goalkeeper Leanne Sargeant and head coach Tom Hewitt. Verity Mason-McLeod and Claire Higginson were back in the squad of 15 which travelled to the game. The less reported about the first half the better!!The tempo of the game was fairly slow and Lought’s packed their back line which gave the BHC defensive unit lots of time and space, however all too frequently a good first touch was lacking and on a hard, bouncy pitch, passes were going astray and frustrations grew.

Bedford couldn’t move the persistent, young Lought’s defence so there were relatively few attempts on goal in the opening 35 with half chances for Costin, Holland, Mason-McLeod whilst ambitious defender SJ Darrington was on the hunt for her first goal of the season with some energetic bursts forward. Lought’s by contrast didn’t muster any attempts on Lucy Sellers' goal in the whole match and were very much playing a containing game frequently deploying a ½ court press.

The second half saw Bedford increase their collective intensity and quality. As Lought’s tired and lost a bit of discipline, gaps started to appear and goal scoring opportunities were increasingly created. Bedford’s passing was much more crisp and accurate and they controlled proceedings with authority and a calmness on a par with a team at the top of the table. MOTM Elli Priston was excellent at the back, making some great picks, interceptions and well timed tackles whilst Jenna Maclaren and Beth Noble were able to make incisive forward passes. Bedford kept their patience in the press with Steph Holyoak and Connie Mason creating opportunities for turnover with good pressure, leading the defensive effort, from the front.

The deadlock was broken on 40 minutes. After winning the ball back in the left hand corner through Sam Turner, Kate Costin picked up the ball and drove into the circle using her 3D skills to good effect to beat two defenders before lashing the ball home for her 10th league goal of the campaign in what proved to be the winning goal. Bedford could and should have made the margin of victory larger, but the young Lought’s keeper Zara Rose, came into her own with some fine stops. Stand in captains Becca Budd and Emma Pinny were both thwarted with shots from the top of the circle whilst Holyoak and Mason were both denied from close range before the maroons struck the post from a penalty corner routine. With Charlotte Holland and Pippa Jones helping to keep the ball towards the end of the game, the score remained 1-0 to the visitors as Bedford secured another vital 3 points in the final game of 2016.

10 games without dropping points is Bedford’s longest winning sequence in recent history, beating the total 8 wins on the bounce from the league winning side of 2013-14. Now the squad will be looking to continue their form and improve further in 2017 and the league restarts in earnest with a top of the table clash against Wapping on the 14th January with the team from the Olympic Park, being the only team to take points of Bedford so far this season.