Wodson Park 2 V 0 Bedford Town Reserves

Wodson Park had a welcome win over Bedford Town on Saturday afternoon. Tyler Hatherly scored five minutes before half time and Ashley Wackers secured victory after 75 minutes with a sublime finish and in between the visitors had to survive significant pressure from the home side. Joe Collins and Peter Sawyer forced fine saves in the opening half-hour but, after the break, Dan Aldous topped that by foiling Bedford twice as they pressed hard for the equaliser. A Louis Rose tackle drew derision from the crowd late on but it did not affect the result. Wodson had toughed it out to record a significant victory in the most trying of circumstances and at the same time proved a point to themselves. The manager made one change from the side beaten by Kings Langley on Wednesday night with Jack Friend making way for Matthew Taylor. It felt like a crossroads game for Munt’s side. Wednesday night’s defeat had left them in need of a win Saturday – any colour, any kind – to get back into the top half and the mix for promotion. Mathematically they would still be in the hunt but, mentally, a defeat would be hard to cure. Fortunately, the medicine was administered after 40 minutes on Saturday afternoon. Hatherly floated into the Bedford half after being fed from the right. His cross shot beating the keeper at the far post. The goal was everything Wodson needed and they immediately pressed home their advantage up until they went into the tunnel at the interval. Three minutes into the second half Wodson spurned a good chance to extend their lead. An errant pass gave the ball to Hatherly, who instantly fed the unmarked Anstead in the D. The skipper hooked his shot wide when he should have scored. As we approached the hour, Bedford had enjoyed more pressure but precious few chances. In fact, at this point, Aldous’s most important influence on the game had been saving from his own defender. That would rapidly change. In the 57th minute, the Bedford forward turned and sent a ferocious shot toward the top corner. Aldous gymnastically tipped over. The corner found the same player at the far post and Hatherly had to hurriedly hack the ball off the line. Seconds later, a free-kick from the right was swung in and the stooping forward sent a header on to the top of the net. They were all credible chances and but unless the visitors took one soon they would be conceding pretty soon as Wodson looked dangerous on every counter attack. In the 65th minute, Collins did his best to alleviate the pressure. The midfielder scurried in from the left and fired a daisy-cutter against the base of the post. Shortly afterwards the same player had a pile driver blocked in the area. Those chances hardly quelled Bedford’s ambitions but at least the home side’s pressure was not calling Aldous into action any more. And, as the game entered its latter stages, Wodson began to assert themselves again. Fifteen minutes from time, unmarked Wackers turned home a sublime finish to effectively kill the game of as a contest. As the seconds ticked by, Bedford chanced their arm for the final time driving forward but firing wide. The Wackers goal sealed the victory but, in reality, a couple of key stops from Aldous, combined with a committed if not water-tight performance, had been enough take the points. It had been an afternoon night for a gutsy, not a classy, Wodson