Knaresborough Town taste victory for the first time in 2024/25 as Cameron Bedford sinks Rossington Main

Simon Parkes’ men failed to come out on top in any of their first six league and cup fixtures, but got off the mark for the season courtesy of Cameron Bedford’s second-half brace.

Winger Bedford, who returned to Manse Lane recently from Northern Premier League outfit Brighouse Town, began the game on the bench, but was introduced with just 12 minutes gone after Fedel Ross-Lang injured himself in the process of forcing a fine early save from Rossington goalkeeper Leigh Overton.

At the other end of the pitch, Boro stopper Tommy Brown had to be alert to save from Manasse Kianga, and then from a scrambled effort, which also struck the upright.

Town were soon back on the offensive and Brad Walker saw a deflected effort hit the cross-bar before Alex Ingham’s follow-up found the back of the net, only to then be ruled out for offside.

Rossington’s Brad Grayson was then given too much space in the hosts’ defensive third, meaning that Brown had to come to his team’s rescue once again.

The end-to-end nature of the contest continued, and Bedford squandered the best chance of the half when a cross from the left from Adam Priestley found him in space, but his strike at goal was too high.

Paul Sherburn then fired wide for the visitors as did Kianga, before a fine long-range effort from Ingham was saved by Overton shortly before the half-time whistle.

Early in the second period, Overton denied Ingham what looked like it would be the opening goal after he broke clear of the Rossington defence, but from the resulting corner, the deadlock was broken.

Jack Lazenby’s delivery from the right found the head of Bedford, and he made no mistake with 47 minutes on the clock.

Brown then had to save again from Grayson before Priestley broke through for Knaresborough, only for Overton to make another important stop.

Rossington made three substitutions in an attempt to get back on terms, but a superb effort from Bedford flew into the top of the net in the 73rd minute to double the Boro advantage.

Three minutes later, the Town nerves began their usual late tremors as Kianga fired a fine shot into the bottom corner to make it 2-1.

Brown then cemented his man-of-the-match status with an excellent tip over from Kenzie Dillon, and a more comfortable late save from Mitch Langton, as Knaresborough held firm for their first three-point haul of the campaign.

Victory lifts Parkes’ side up to 16th place in the NCEL Premier Division standings.