Church suffer a cruel blow in stoppage time that snatches their hard won point from their hands.
It’s a massive goalmouth scramble, but the referee enthusiastically points to the spot to break the visitors’ hearts.
The penalty is stroked in by Leon Lobjoit with Hollingshead diving the wrong way.

Manager Tim Flowers was “gutted”, as he felt that his Church side had grown into the game and looked “comfortable” as the game wore on.
A last gasp defeat is as hard to take as a last gasp win is euphoric., and the over-riding feeling is that the marginal decisions are not going in his side’s favour at the moment.

Bedford started the game more strongly, with Andrade proving to be an early handful for the Church defence. He curls a shot just wide from the edge of the box after six minutes and then a minute later ghosts past Archie Crowther on the outside, and fires low across the face of goal, but Hollingshead gets a decisive touch to deflect the ball wide of the far post and a corner.

These have been two warning shots across Church’s bows, but in all honesty, this was pretty much as good as it got for the home side.
Two key moments in the first half see Church have a well worked goal chalked off, and a challenge on Dan Sweeney inside the box went unpunished, despite the fact that the defender goes through the back of the Church striker to clear the ball. Sweeney is incensed, and convinced that he has been done.

And then on 21 minutes Church had a goal ruled out after a finely taken free kick led to an Allen-Hadley shot that keeper Horlick soled, but as Pearce turned the loose ball in the assistant’s flag quickly dampened any celebration.
Another close shave for the home side on 42 minutes when Pearce turns and passes from deep inside the home box, Howell is on the end of the pass, but cannot get enough power in the shot to trouble Horlick who is well placed to gather.

The second half begins with good pressure from Church, who are looking increasingly the more likely to open the scoring. Sweeney drives into the side netting five minutes in, and has to acknowledge that there were probably better options open from a square pass.

The game becomes increasingly tetchy as the half wears on with every challenge greeted by a cacophony of screams from the home players, bench and supporters, including a booking for Hollingshead as he clatters into an opponent coming for a lofted ball, but thankfully it is outside the box.

Minutes remaining, and that penalty decision is looming. Bedford win a free kick a couple of yards outside the Church box. Lobjoit delivers the ball invitingly to the back post, but there is no quality on the end of it, and the danger seems to have passed. The ball is delivered back into the box from a long throw and mayhem results, with the referee dramatically pointing to the spot.

The well earned point is lost, even though the remaining stoppage time is played out around and in the Bedford box.