BGB Southern Premier

Farnborough 3 Bedford Town 1

Farnborough are back on top of the Southern Premier, thanks to a superb first half performance at home to Bedford Town on Tuesday evening.

Boro were three goals to the good inside the first half an hour, with Michael Charles twice on target and Dave Woozley adding another.

So good was Boro’s play in the first half that it proved impossible to maintain and the second half was a nervous affair, with Bedford making much of the running, once they had pulled the score back to 3-1 with nearly 40 minutes to go.

But Boro held firm and the three points take them above Corby Town, who did not play.

Merthyr Tydfil also won, thrashing Clevedon 5-1, and are up to second, behind Boro on goal difference.

While manager Francis Vines was disappointed with his side’s second half display, he was delighted to score three goals at home and finally see his side enjoy a spell where they converted their chances.

“I thought as a whole 90 minutes that our 1-0 win at Halesowen on Saturday was our best 90 minutes of the season,” said Vines.

“But for half an hour or so we have completely played Bedford off the park,” he added.

“They simply couldn’t live with us. They had no answer.”

Bedford, in mid-table, have put in some impressive defensive displays this season and even enjoyed a seven-match run without conceding a goal.

So, that makes Boro’s first half dominance all the more remarkable.

Vines had made just one change from the side that won at Halesowen, with skipper Steve Laidler coming back from suspension.

That meant Leigh Rumbold moved out to the right of midfield and Michael Barima dropped to the bench.

Nick Burton and Darren Wheeler were out through injury, while Rob Saunders remained a substitute.

That paired Laidler and Ryan Scott in the middle of the park and the two enjoyed an excellent first half, full of running, tackling and incisive passing.

That Bedford stole control of the game after the break was largely down to the fact that the excellent Arran Cavill wrestled control of the midfield.

But that was still to come: for the first half an hour, Farnborough reigned supreme and their visitors did not muster a shot in anger until near the stroke of half-time.

As early as the second minute David Ray had headed over an inviting cross from the left from Nic Ciardini, who enjoyed an excellent start to the game down the left.

Ray turned provider ten minutes later but Charles missed his cross and Mike Armitt in the Bedford goal had an easy save to make from Ciardini’s shot.

But seconds later Charles was far more clinical, finishing a move started by Ian Oliver at left-back by showing lovely skill to touch the ball past Bedford captain Eddie Lawley and then shooting low under Armitt.

The keeper should have done better but Charles had earned his fortune with a delicious piece of skill to leave Lawley floundering in his wake.

Akin Aladetoun showed good pace up front for Bedford on their very rare first half raids but Adam Doyle, after one or two nervous moments, stood up strong and stopped the danger.

Besides, Boro looked like scoring with every attack. Ciardini flashed a left foot shot inches wide of the far post and then Charles headed over, after more enterprising work from Ray.

On 24 minutes, the second goal finally arrived. Scott floated a freekick to the far post, where Rumbold had peeled away and he headed back into a crowded goalmouth.

Woozley was in the right place at the right time and tapped the ball home.

Vines has criticised his side’s finishing and paucity of goals all season and the manner in which his side went looking for more must have pleased him.

Laidler, who was enjoying a superb half, fizzed a long-range shot inches wide of the upright before Scott instigated the third goal with a very astute turn and pass into space down the left.

Ciardini supplied the cross and while Charles missed his first shooting chance, Bedford handed him another and he passed the ball beyond Armitt and into the corner.

There could have been more: Mark Gamble had a shot blocked after more fine work from Scott and Charles, before Bedford finally got a grip on the game and stemmed the tide.

A fine left foot shot from Cavill flew inches wide of Lyall Beazley’s post in the 39th minute and Beazley was also forced into a save — very comfortable at that — from Jamie Gould.

It was a sign of things to come; apart from a good run and chip from Laidler straight after the break, Boro never reached their first half heights again.

“The game was dead in a way at half-time,” said Vines. “But we must learn to push on and score four, five or six goals.

“Ryan Scott and Steve Laidler controlled the midfield in the first half but, in the second, Bedford played as if they had nothing to lose.

“Their midfield pushed beyond ours. While we tried to shore things up by putting Leigh Rumbold in there, it still kept happening. We must realise that we can’t always go rushing forward. We lost too many headers in the second half and the ball kept coming back at us and we had to chase back to catch their midfielders.”

Chief of those was Cavill, the former Northampton Town player, who smashed Bedford back into contention on 52 minutes, after Beazley’s punch from a corner fell invitingly to him in the area.

Laider was booked for a foul on Cavill on 64 minutes and Boro found it increasingly hard to maintain possession.

“We started to complicate things in the last ten minutes of the first half and we gave the ball away cheaply,” said Vines.

“It took the momentum away from us and that carried on into the second half. It was disappointing to let a goal in but Cavill is a good player.”

It could have been worse: Cavill hit the inside of the post in the 80th minute.

Had that gone in, then Boro would have had to endure a very nervous last ten minutes, especially as their league form, prior to Halesowen, had been patchy.

But that miss rather took the wind out of Bedford’s sails and, if anything, Boro finished the stronger of the two sides, with Rumbold storming forward from the middle and substitutes Michael Barima and Akwasi Edusei adding fresh impetus down the flanks.

“After four disappointing results in the league, we’ve now had two wins,” said Vines.

“That is good but it will be much nicer if we go on and win three or four or more games in a row.

“It was good to see us score some goals today. That is the first time we’ve scored three goals in a game at Cherrywood Road this season.

“Charles and Gamble are a good pairing. They are very busy and caused Bedford all sorts of problems.”

Boro: Beazley, Ray, Oliver, Woozley, Doyle, Laidler, Rumbold, Scott (Barima 70), Gamble, Charles (Richardson 90), Ciardini (Edusei 82). Not used: Saunders, Lyons.

Boro have another home league game on Saturday, against Chippenham Town.

The West Country side are in mid-table after drawing at struggling Oxford City on Tuesday night.

Vines is expecting a physical match against a side with just one league away win this season.

“Chippenham are a lot like Halesowen. They are big and strong, a true Southern League side. I expect them to be piling in to get on the end of free-kicks and corners,” said Vines.

Kick-off at Cherrywood Road is at 3pm.