Challenging duo are distanced as Hemel come into focus

Laurie Walker was restored in goal in place of Niall Cooper and he will rarely have an easier evening, with the keeper not having a save to make over the course of the 90 minutes.

Much of the credit for his unemployment must go to Richard Batchelor who harried and hassled the Eagles midfield to such an extent that the visitors’ strikeforce were left to feed on scraps.

In an enterprising start, both sides had an early sight of goal, with Ricky Johnson’s shot blocked following good work from Lee Moore and Will Green dragging an effort across the face at the other end.

Batchelor and Nat Peacock were both off target with headers before Brakes took a firm grip on the game. Nick Beasant produced a goal-saving challenge to prevent Stefan Moore converting Johnson’s knock-down and Ian Brown was at full-stretch to prevent Stephan Morley’s free-kick sneaking in.

Stefan Moore lost his footing when clean through and Brown was again scrambling to his left to claw away Johnson’s first-time effort.

However, from the resultant corner, the hosts opened the scoring, Liam Daly producing an emphatic finish to beat Brown after Batchelor had dummied Lee Moore’s delivery.

Beasant was on hand with another last-ditch challenge to prevent Stefan Moore doubling Brakes’ lead after the striker had dallied on a one on one, but six minutes from the break the home side did have their two-goal buffer.

Daly’s hoofed clearance caught the Bedford back four playing a high line and Lee Chilton took advantage with a run from deep which left him one on one with Brown.

Chilton had an age to pick his spot, with the keeper frozen to his line, and made no mistake to extend his side’s lead.

The heat of the game had rarely risen above tepid, but Bedford’s Callum Lewis suffered a rush of blood in the third minute of injury time, earning a straight from the excellent David Avent for a two-footed lunge on Martyn Naylor.

The visitors’ hopes of getting back into the game took on mountaneous proportions ten minutes into the second period when Stefan Moore, having poked wide a minute earlier, drilled into the far right-hand corner of the net following Johnson’s flick-on.

The goal served to kill the game as a contest with both teams seemingly content to settle for what they had.

Apart from two Johnson headers which failed to test Brown there was scant goalmouth action to keep a crowd of 381 entertained and Magunda, Batchelor and Chilton all departed as attentions turned to tomorrow’s visit of Hemel.