Leighton exit the FA Trophy

Action from Leighton's defeat at Real Bedford on Friday. Photo: LTFC.Action from Leighton's defeat at Real Bedford on Friday. Photo: LTFC.
Action from Leighton's defeat at Real Bedford on Friday. Photo: LTFC.
​Leighton Town’s FA Trophy hopes ended on Friday night as hosts Real Bedford ran out 4-0 winners.

​Having seen off Stotfold in the last round on penalties, Leighton were well beaten in the second qualifying round and exited the competition to a side who ply their trade in the same division as the Reds and sit third in the early standings.

The first notable opportunity fell to Leighton’s Charlie Pattison in the 12th minute, but his shot drifted wide.

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From that moment on, Bedford took control and in the 32nd minute their persistence paid off. Ben Stevens did brilliantly to cut inside before squaring the ball to Josh Setchell who made no mistake for a half-time lead.

The second goal came in the 66th minute when Stevens produced a moment of brilliance. Picking up the ball on the halfway line, he spotted Leighton keeper Connor Hunt off his line and unleashed an audacious shot from distance, lobbing Hunt in stunning fashion to make it 2-0.

In the 70th minute, Setchell then dribbled down the right-hand side before delivering a pinpoint cross to Joey Evans who made no mistake with a simple tap-in.

Leighton’s next real chance of the game came in the 79th minute, but Lynton Goss’s header sailed harmlessly over the bar, leaving Bedford's clean sheet intact.

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As the game wound down, Bedford added a fourth in the 88th minute. After a scrappy series of failed clearances from the Leighton defence, the ball fell to substitute Eniola Agemoh-Davies, who smashed it past Hunt to round off the home side’s victory.

Leighton will now return to league action this weekend looking to arrest a run of form that hasn’t seen them win in the SPL Division One Central since March.

They will host 11th-placed Beaconsfield Town on Saturday, before then returning to the scene of Friday’s FA Trophy defeat when they go back to Real Bedford on Tuesday night.

That will then be followed with a home game against Northwood who currently sit bottom of the league having lost all six of their games so far.

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