Well, this is it. One more roll of the dice for a chance of promotion back to step three at the first time of asking. Lee Bircham's side welcome fourth placed Waltham Abbey to The Eyrie, after defeating Ware 2-1 in the playoff semi-final on Wednesday evening.
The two sides have had fantastic seasons, both finishing the season strongly in the playoff positions. Head-to-head, there has been two closely fought ties, but not with a lot of goals to sing home about. Billy Holland's side held The Eagles to a 0-0 draw at Capershotts in October. And the home tie looked all too familiar. That was until a 95th minute sucker punch equaliser from Aaron Eyoma took all three points for The Abbey who ran out 0-1 winners.
That 0-1 home defeat turned out to be the game that sparked an incredible turnaround for Lee Bircham's side who went on to win six in a row, netting 21 times, including Wednesday night's playoff final. And whilst results between the two sides have been anti-climatic this season, we all know too well that playoff games are a different beast. Bedford led Ware 2-0 in the first half in Wednesday's playoff semi-final, and rode the storm to win the game 2-1 after Kieron Bishop's 96th minute consolation goal. Just a few weeks prior, the same two sides met at Ware's Wodson Park in a league fixture and a 2-0 Bedford lead after 21 minutes turned out to be not enough, as Paul Halsey's side went on to win the match 4-2.
So, in summary, this playoff final fixture is nothing but a given. None of these sides have a god given right to win. And even the added home support cheering on The Eagles, combined with the incredible form of the boys in blue, will simply not be enough to win this final. However, your support is still absolutely integral to this team. Speaking to club officials in the Eagles Review programme this morning, captain Alex Collard said:
"People talk about fans being the 12th man, etc. As a player, I will always say to fans that you don’t appreciate how much your support helps.".
The 28 year old defender continued:
"To hear you cheering and chanting gives the players that extra 5%, which most of the time can be the difference. Don’t underestimate the impact you all have and I hope we can get the same great atmosphere as Wednesday night".
The man who deserves a huge amount of credit for the side's turnaround in the league these past few weeks is Bedford Town manager Lee Bircham, who is very much looking forward to today's playoff final. Speaking again in the Eagles Review, Bircham stated:
"We know on our day we can beat anyone, so as long as we perform to the levels we have done of late then we have a great chance of promotion. As proven time & time again the play offs are complete lotteries at times though, so we will just have to give it everything we’ve got".
And so, for one last time... get your tickets online, bring a friend, your missus, your dog, or anyone who will get behind the lads for one last roll of the dice. If you opt to miss this game, you may well live to regret it!
Also, be sure to check out our article with some crucial information on this game. It will ensure your day is enjoyable and give you less chance of missing any of the action when you come to The Eyrie!