Bedford narrowly missed out on at least a point on Saturday, losing out to a late strike from Kofi Moore, as the side lost 1-0 away at Chester.
Harry Smart made three changes to the side that progressed through in the Emirates FA Cup four days previously, as Ben Weyman, Tarik Gidaree, and new Stevenage academy loanee, Alfie Thornett came into the starting line up.
Keeping on the subject of the impending FA Cup game to come, Junior Gyamfi, who looked to have been singled out for receiving some dubious tackles during the game, left the pitch on a stretcher, and later hobbled out to the team coach on crutches, making him doubtful for the game.
Spectators had barely time to sit down when the Eagles won a corner within ten seconds of the start, with Chester defending it after some head tennis.
A few minutes later, had Billy Waters stayed on his feet instead of going to ground all too easily after racing through the Bedford defence, the home side may have taken the lead. In the end, Bedford cleared as the referee waved play on.
The home side were smarting from their own FA Cup defeat, and took the game to Bedford, and an angled shot/cross from Sam Foley went straight into the arms of Laurie Walker.
Walker then had to punch a corner away, and all against a strong breeze, as the ball curled in.
The woodwork saved Bedford on 24 minutes, when Ruben Butt drew a foul on the edge of the D, got up to take the kick, pushed the ball round the wall only to see it rebound off the right hand post.
A few minutes later, Bedford had a chance denied, when Gidaree beat Jefferson Abreu, took the ball down the right and crossed over to the far post for Josh Castiglione, who controlled before shooting, beating Luke Hewitson, but not Jake Griffin, as the central defender cleared off the line.
As the half drew to a close, Moore was released in the area, but saw his shot go wide.
A minute later, Castiglione, who had been poleaxed a few minutes earlier, tried a speculative shot from the left corner of the area, but the ball flashed across goal and off.
The last action of the half saw Walker snuff out a Moore cross.
The same player tested Walker, just five minutes into the 2nd half, when his cross went too near the goal, and the Bedford ‘keeper had to stretch to tip the ball away.
A minute later, Moore passed the ball into the area, before it was directed goal wards, and forced Gidaree to hook it away from the line.
A Bedford corner from Castiglione then curled in a bit too much, but to his advantage, and Hewitson had to fingertip it over the bar.
Play was stopped on 56 minutes for Gyamfi to receive treatment, after the latest tackle. Four minutes later, and with the totally unsympathetic home crowd thinking he was acting, the midfielder was stretchered off to a more respectful noise.
The game became tame, with substitutions for both sides, and in the 75th minute, Ben Weyman’s high cross was taken by the wind, and caused Hewitson problems before he finally had to concede a corner.
As time ticked away, Ryan Doherty put in a timely sliding tackle to dispossess a Chester player, as Bedford came under a fair bit of pressure. With a minute of normal time remaining, Chester scored the only goal of the game, when Moore picked up a pass, went on a run that included a fortunate bounce off a Bedford player, and curled the ball past Walker.
Nine minutes added time was announced, but Bedford couldn’t find a way through for an equaliser. There was a handbag moment as tempers frayed, after a visiting corner was defended.