On a night which saw Nuneaton Town and Cambridge City lose ground with defeats at Bashley and Stourbridge respectively, Boro overcame a two goal half time deficit to draw 2-2 with Bedford Town at the Eyrie on Tuesday night. 

Two Junior McDougald free-kicks gave the home side the advantage at the break, but second half strikes from Jack King and Gary Holloway ensured Boro’s unbeaten league away record remained intact. 

Heavy afternoon rain which remained almost constant during the ninety minutes left a playing surface not conducive to the style of football that has become expected from Boro but this did not deter them from staying true to their beliefs. 

Quality delivery from the flanks was evident throughout the game, Craig Braham-Barrett and Owen Price causing Bedford a constant threat down the right hand side.

Early chances fell to Dean McDonald and Kezie Ibe, but a siege mentality in the Bedford box ensured the scores remained level. On twenty minutes, Jack King hit a sweet strike from 20 yards which fizzed off of the wet surface, and would have caused Armitt in the Bedford goal a problem had it been a yard to the right. 

Three minutes later though it was the hosts who took the lead, Callum Lewis being upended on the edge of the box, and from the resulting free kick, former Dagenham & Redbridge man Junior McDougald steered the ball home into the bottom right-hand corner. 

Boro responded, but the continual pressure came to no end product and on 35 minutes Bedford doubled their tally with another goal from a dead ball situation. 

McDougald brought down in a similar position to the first goal, picked himself up to take the kick, this time opting to go over the wall rather than round and a flick off the defensive wall saw the ball nestle in the back of the net. 

Lesser teams may have capitulated but Boro continued to press, Dean McDonald again going close before the referee brought the first half’s proceedings to a close.  

Boro came out rejuvenated and just two minutes after the restart pulled a goal back, Jack King slamming home from 12 yards after good work down the left hand side. Boro relentless in their task to restore parity continued to raid down the wings, the partnership between Braham- Barrett and Price growing stronger by the minute, and it was from that side that just before the hour mark the equaliser came, Gary Holloway busting a gut to stab home an Owen Price cross to far post.  

The equaliser brought renewed confidence of a complete comeback, and a shell shocked Bedford faced a difficult last 20 minutes or so, when Cole received his second yellow of the game, forcing the home side to see the remainder out a man down.

The game became very niggly in the latter stages, the referee forced to stop and start the match on numerous occasions, most notable when a terrible over the top tackle on Boro’s talismatic skipper Steve Robinson saw nearly every player on the pitch come together in a mini melee. 

Armitt in the Bedford goal was under constant pressure as the ball was fired in to the area time and time again, but he stood firm and often unconventionally thwarted the danger. Bedford had one glimmer of hope, when with five minutes of normal time remaining, Craig Daniel hit a screamer which Stuart Robinson shovelled away. 

News of the results from around the Division were coming in and Boro despite the total domination of the second half proceedings could not break through, and had to settle for the point. 

Boro boss Steve King was staggered not to have won the game "We were ultimately undone by two set pieces which we should have dealt with, but at the end of the day you will not see a more one sided game, especially in the second half."

He heaped praise on Owen Price who was a constant thorn in the Bedford side "He (Price) was outstanding, the quality of his delivery was second to none, and I am disappointed that we didn’t capitalise on it, some of the balls played in deserved a goal, you will go a long way to see that calibre of delivery at any level of football, we take the point as we really could not have done any more than we did, the Bedford defence and goalkeeper died for their cause out there."

Boro face another road trip this weekend, as they travel to The Court Place Farm Stadium to take on Oxford City, kick off on Saturday is at 3pm. 

Oxford have drawn three from their last five games, Leamington the last outing where they shared the points on Saturday. 

Boro: Robinson Stuart, Braham-Barrett, Ciardini, King, Robinson Steve, Doyle, McMahon, Holloway, Ibe (Bubb 85), McDonald, Price Unused Subs: Stevens, Wormull, Thomas, Dobson. 

Goals: 

Bedford: McDougald (x2) 23,35 

Boro: King 47, Holloway 59 

Attendance: 222