- Real Bedford are unbeaten in their last four home games, winning two and drawing two.
- Bishop’s Stortford have won just four of their 18 away games this season, conceding 1.39 goals per game on average.
- Real Bedford are third in the Southern League Premier Division Central table with 69 points from 37 games. Bishop’s Stortford are 14th with 47 points from 38.
Real Bedford are a well-organised unit
Real Bedford have established an identity of being a team that likes to have the ball and will press with high energy to get it back. They have players who can play with it in wide areas and rotate their front line to keep things fresh in the final third. Boss Rob Sinclair has moulded them into a tough nut to crack at home and his side will be favourites for this one.
The hosts sit third in the Southern League Premier Division Central standings with 69 points from 37 matches. They’ve won ten, drawn five and lost just three of their 18 home league games. They’ve also been in good form recently, posting two wins, two draws and one defeat from their last five in the league. Real Bedford have scored 1.78 goals per home game on average, so the hosts will definitely have something to offer going forward.
Stortford will attempt to catch Bedford napping
Bishop’s Stortford are a typical English football team. They’re pragmatic, they play direct and they will get men behind the ball and aim to cause problems in transition. They possess some decent athletes in wide positions and will use set-pieces and counter-attacking opportunities to try and nick a goal in this one. Frank Norris has been a bright spark for Bishop’s recently, having scored two of their four goals in the last five league games.
The visitors sit 14th in the table with 47 points from 38 and they have struggled for momentum this season. They’ve won one, drawn two and lost two of their last five, but have failed to win their last two away from home, picking up just one point.
Real Bedford to win a tactically interesting clash
Real Bedford are the clear favourites here at 9/25 and Bishop’s are a huge 619/100 with the bookies. That’s no surprise given the difference in league position, the last two head-to-head meetings (split evenly) and each team's respective home and away records. We’re confidently backing the favourites to take all three points here given their solid form at home, their recent dominance over this opponent and their overall league position.
With Bishop’s tendency to sit deep and Real Bedford’s tendency to press high, this should be a tactical clash but one in which goals could still be expected. Over 2.5 match goals is coming in at 14/25, which seems reasonable given Real Bedford's attacking threat and their 5-0 win over Bishop's six weeks ago. We’re backing the both teams to score option at a shorter, but still tempting, 3/4, as Bishop’s will be vulnerable in possession but can nick a goal on the break.
