Oxford United Women 2-2 Real Bedford – National League

The home side welcomed the visitors in what proved to be an exciting and hard-fought contest.

Holly Manders emerged as the standout performer for the United side, netting both goals as they fought back twice to secure a point.

Despite dominating the early exchanges, United found themselves trailing after thirty-two minutes.

A stunning long-range effort from Melis Mehmet caught goalkeeper Beth Wookey off guard, soaring into the top corner to give the Pirates the lead.

The home side continued to press but struggled to break through a resolute Bedford defence, heading into halftime a goal down.

However, the tide turned shortly after the break. Jenna Legg, who was instrumental in midfield throughout the match, threaded a perfectly timed pass to Manders.

And the forward made no mistake, firing home to level the score.

With momentum on their side, Oxford looked the more likely to take the lead, forcing Bedford’s keeper, Erica Meale, into a couple of decent stops.

Yet, against the run of play, it was the Pirates who struck next. Mehmet once again proved to be a thorn in United’s side, weaving through the defence to slot the ball past Wookey, restoring Bedford’s advantage.

The visitors seemed poised to extend their lead, putting the home side under pressure.

Nevertheless, Oxford’s resilience shone through. In stoppage time, a handball on the edge of the penalty area awarded the U’s a free kick.

Manders stepped up to take it, curling the ball around the wall and into the net, igniting jubilant celebrations among the home fans.

United will return to the MGroup Stadium this Sunday for their final match of the season against Lewes, who recently climbed above them in the standings following a 2-1 home victory over AFC Bournemouth on Sunday.

Fans are encouraged to come out and support the team as they aim to finish the campaign on a high note.

Attendance at the game was 241.