Monday 28th July 2008 - Bedford 2-1 U's: Man Bags and Name Tags

There is something both aesthetically pleasing and astounding logical in a dugout made from a goal frame. Bedford Town's Eyrie boasts two, not unnaturally, and with semi-seethrough backs so that they do not obstruct anyone's view, they are utterly practical too. If someone has not copyrighted the design already, they should do so without further delay. They beat Man U's naff collection of second-hand car seats any day!

There is plenty to admire about The Eyrie, a well-kept arena with a splendid social club, tidy club shop, quirky little tea hut on the far side of the ground, and misleadingly small floodlights with the illuminating power of several small suns. And you can get a perfect view of the whole thing from the A421 before you even turn off to get there.

The evening got off to a somewhat surreal start with the purchase of the matchday programme, a multi-match issue which also covered previous friendlies with Luton and Aylesbury. There they were, the Bedford manager's notes on page three, "I would like to welcome all our visitors..." with name and picture at the bottom: Stuart Bimson. Bimmo has of course defected to the U's as first team coach since penning his last managerial lines for the Eagles.

Sandwiched as it was between, ahem, glamour friendlies against Coventry and West Ham, it was never going to be the strongest U's side at The Eyrie on a Monday night, but it was an interesting mixture of the established, the new and the wannabe.

Sam Beagle, having escaped at last from central Europe, took his place in goal, assisted in his warm-up by the venerable Danny Potter. Already familiar trialists Pat Bexfield and Andy Howell lined up alongside returning Bedford hero Gavin Hoyte and Jordan Collins in a flat back four behind a midfield three of second Eagles returnee Ben Farrell, rehabilitating Darren Quinton and CRC youngster Rory McAuley. Ahead of them, another youth product, Adam Marriott, was stationed 'in the hole' behind a front two of Craig Bussens and Tiny Tom Youngs, trying again to recover his mojo for another tilt at a spell in the black and amber. Perhaps some name badges might have been appropriate for the benefit of both spectators and team-mates alike.

Diminutive Dutchman Felino Jardim was also in attendance, but for reasons which may or may not become clear, he was in civvies of long combat shorts and sparkly blue, yellow and red trainers, with a camouflage-design man-bag slung jauntily over his shoulder and diamond earring glinting in the rays of the evening sun.

There was one vaguely familiar face in the Bedford side, right-back Rob Miller, who made one substitute League appearance for the U's in a 2-1 defeat at Millwall in September 1999 before moving on to Stevenage, Bedford, Cambridge City, Hitchin, Australia and now back to his home-town club, still aged only 28.

It was a warm, still, sultry evening and with spectators allowed to leave the bar to enjoy their alcoholic drinks by the side of the pitch (how terribly civilised) without the authorities fearing a drunken riot, the atmosphere was low-key, laid back and positively mellow, man. The PA announcer tried to inject some drama into proceedings when the teams trooped out by playing a hunting anthem and crying "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, Cambridge United and Bedford Town!" I'll just finish me pint first, mate, if that's alright.

The Eyrie's even, luxuriantly grassed pitch was a good surface upon which to play football, and the hosts started the better, showing pace and commitment against a team of strangers who understandably took some time to settle, playing the ball around the back four a lot but finding progress rather more difficult in the final third with a front line distinctly lacking in physical presence.

Messrs Hoyte and Farrell seemed to be enjoying the early stages against their former club, and McAuley in midfield looked lively, firing over from just outside the box on 11. Bedford's main threat came from set pieces, that hardy perennial Cambridge favourite, and that was their means of taking the lead on 19. Craig Daniel swung it in from the left, and the unmarked head of skipper Eddie Lawley powered it home, although it may have taken a touch off Collins. 1-0.

Tiny Tom, marauding without the ball like a lonesome ghost up front in his white shirt, drew a foul to gain his side a free-kick on 23 a few yards outside the 'D'. There was no doubt who fancied it, Farrell lining up alone, and his power strike past the wall was pawed around the post with some difficulty by keeper Mike Armitt. Three minutes later Bexfield found Youngs with a cross at the far post, but the ball was a little too high and he could only float a header into Armitt's arms.

Bedford's more direct, bustling style began to assert itself, and just before the half-hour Colm Kierans had a goalbound skimmer well held by a sprawling Beagle. The waif-like U's keeper was then tested by a header from Jon Darby, his parry cleared by Collins, while at the other end Bexfield's through ball permitted Marriott to sidestep his marker neatly and shoot smartly, his effort blocked by Armitt.

Three minutes from the interval, Bussens produced some nice wing-play down the right to arrow a cross over to an unmarked Youngs at the far post, but Tom nodded disappointingly into the side netting with Armitt stranded.

The hosts then threatened to double their lead with a series of corners which were not at all well defended by United. The first one found Darby bulldozing in, and his point-blank header was flapped away by Beagle on his line. The second found Andrew Phillips, and his unchallenged nod for goal bounced narrowly wide of the near post.

The line-up may have been different, but the story had been familiar for the U's: plenty of nice passing in the non-dangerous areas, little presence or penetration up front, and vulnerable at the back. So far the Eagles had dared, and deserved their lead.

United only had three subs on the bench, all CRC lads, and two were introduced for part two as Our Gary changed to 4-4-2. Sam Ives replaced Marriott and went wide right, while Lewis Carr (on for McAuley) partnered Hoyte at centre-back, Howell moving to left-back and Collins to wide left midfield.

Youngs made himself an early chance when he nicked the ball past Darby to set himself up one-on-one with Armitt, but he was too slow to shoot and the keeper advanced and smothered like a giant scatter cushion. It was Bedford, whoever, who looked the more dangerous with Farrell and Quinton's influence beginning to wane in midfield, Collins looking a trifle lost, and Beagle saved well from a Phillips scudder on 51.

Carr blotted his copybook five minutes later with a blatant shove from behind on Steve Gentle as they rose for a cross, and ref Mackay had no doubt: penalty. Miller stepped up, but Beagle dived well to his right to block, then made an even better save in tipping the follow-up shot from Jamie Gould over the bar. Fine goalkeeping.

The hosts remained in the ascendant, but were stunned on 63 when United conjured an equaliser out of nothing. A Bedford corner was cleared to Quinton deep in his own half, he looked up and picked up the forward run of Ives, and as the pinpoint long ball bounced ahead of him, Ives saw Armitt advancing from goal and easily beat him with a quite superb lob from 35 yards out. Top notch: 1-1.

Young striker John Yambasu then replaced Quinton, partnering Youngs up front while Bussens moved to wide right, but Bedford remained on top. On 65 Beagle went walkabout when chasing a ball outside his box to the left flank, and Bexfield was forced to dash across goal to prevent Daniel's shot from finding the empty net.

Phillips fired just wide on 73, then on 75 Gentle received the ball with his back to goal, setting up Daniel for a low, powerful shot which flew past Beagle before he could even see it. Fair do's: 2-1.

United's youngsters tried to respond, Yambasu especially putting in a lot of running, and he was almost rewarded on 83 when Ives found him with a low cross eight yards out but he steered his shot just the wrong side of the near post. Beagle produced one more fine save to deny a Gentle piledriver, but there were no complaints about the score from a mainly underwhelming United side, with a few promising cameos from the youngsters but not enough from the senior pros like Farrell, Quinton or Hoyte, or the trialists, to scream 'pick me!' or 'sign me!' respectively.

They will probably get another chance at Braintree on Friday, and we know they can all (mostly) play much better than this. Here's hoping...

Statto Corner
United and Bedford Town first met in the final of the Hunts Premier Cup of 1952 when Southern League Town defeated the Eastern Counties League U's 4-1 at Bedford's original Eyrie. The clubs became regular rivals during the 1960s and the largest crowd for a match between them was 6,772 for their first-round FA Cup tie on 3rd November 1962. The Eagles won 2-1 at The Eyrie but were knocked out 3-0 at home to Gillingham in the next round. The following season, however, they stunned mighty Newcastle United by winning 2-1 at St James' Park in the third round before succumbing 3-0 to Carlisle.

The U's and the Eagles went on to be drawn against each other in both of the next two FA Cup campaigns, United triumphing 4-1 at The Eyrie in 1964-65, but going down 2-1 the following season to two goals by Ray Bailey, who also played county cricket for Northants. Another tremendous cup run ensued for Bedford, finally going out 3-0 to Everton in the fourth round.

The two clubs almost made history on 5th January 1963 when their Southern League clash at the Abbey was scheduled to be shown live by Anglia TV's Match Of The Week, which would have made it the first non-League match Anglia had ever shown, but sadly the game was postponed due to heavy snow. When the match was eventually played, on 11th March, it became the first game played under United's new floodlights, but a crowd of 5,847 saw a goalless draw. The floodlights had cost £13,500 and a Floodlight Fund had been set up to help raise the money, selling Floodlight Badges for £1 a throw. It was money well raised; they are standing to this very day.

Our last competitive meeting was in the Eastern Professional Floodlight League of 1970-71, a 2-2 draw at the Abbey, and after a testimonial in 1977, the clubs did not meet again until a friendly in 1994... although it didn't help that Bedford disbanded in 1982 and did not reform until 1990. Our most recent contest before Monday was in a friendly on 4th August last year, when United won 3-0 in a game which formed part of the Gavin Hoyte transfer deal, although it was most memorable for a nasty injury to Lee Boylan caused by his attempt at an overhead kick in the lead-up to Darren Quinton's opening goal.

Trialist Trivia
United have attracted waifs and strays from all over the world as trialists over the years, hoping to make a footballing career for themselves in the home of the game. One such was Ryan Kapagiannidis, an attacking midfield player who was given a tryout for the Reserves against Millwall's second string on 17th November, 1998. United lost 2-0 in Docklands and the Greek hopeful returned disappointed to his home country.

He enjoyed a respectable, mostly third division career in Greece for such notable clubs as Asteras Abelokipon, Anaghennisi Giannitson, Skoda Xanthi, Ofeas Alexandrupolis, Poseidon Neas Michanionas and PAE Kassandra Kassadreias, until he finally got his big break in 2002 when he was snapped up by PAOK Salonika.

Allocated squad number 88, he was part of the squad which won the Greek FA Cup in 2003 and got as far as the second round of the UEFA Cup in 2003-04, going out on away goals to a Debrecen side which included Peter Halmosi, who signed for Hull City from Plymouth for £2 million only last week.

Ryan left PAOK, having failed to really establish himself, in 2004 for Third Division North side PMAS Agrotikos Asterasi , and at the grand old age of 34 is still going for the splendidly named Doxa Drama. It's a long way from The New Den...

Player Ratings
Beagle 7. Unconvincing at corners in the first half, he blossomed superbly in the second.
Bexfield 6. Neat and tidy without doing anything special. Avoiding mistakes might just get him a contract.
Hoyte 6. Impressive presence in the first 45, but tailed off somewhat in part two and was too often caught out of position. Still much to learn.
Howell 6. Did a decent job at centre half, not so convincing at left-back. Jury still out.
Collins 5. Disappointingly subdued effort which will not give Tonkin any sleepless nights.
McAuley 6. Put in a reasonable and lively shift.
Farrell 6. Another who had a game of two halves, he looked classy early on then gradually faded in influence as the sun went down.
Quinton 6. Still rehabilitating, Darren has some way to go yet on this understated showing in a game a player of his class should look to dominate when fully fit. Great ball for the goal.
Marriott 6. Worked gamely in the hole.
Youngs 5. There's no getting away from it, Tom was a major letdown as he hardly figured at all. Please find your form, Tom, we'd love to have you back if you can turn back the clock.
Bussens 6. Not especially suited to playing as a striker, Craig looked most comfortable when in his natural position on the wing.

Ives 7. Promising debut capped by a magnificent goal.
Carr 6. The penalty incident aside, a decent first runout.
Yambasu 7. Lively and committed, another one for the future.

Match Summary
Sam Ives' spectacular long-range lob was the highlight of the evening for an inexperienced U's side in a hard-fought but not especially inspiring game which was deservedly won by the hosts. Still several yawning gaps to fill in that first team squad...

Man of the Match
Sam Beagle. Looks like yet another in a long line of United keepers who aren't at their strongest in a crowded box, but can produce the most breathtaking of reaction saves when the chips are down. A rough diamond who deserves a thorough polish.

Ref Watch
Mackay 7. Can't say I even noticed him, which for a ref is a Very Good Thing Indeed.

Soundtrack of the Day
Magistrates 'Make This Work'

Andrew Bennett

Andrew's previous match reports

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