Alternate Jonathan Nyantho's 88th minute header proved the difference, and Pikes once again missed the possibility of the grass in their home.
They dominated the first half, so after the break we had chalk and cheese. The Bodsford winner was almost inevitable as Pickering couldn't grasp the outcome.
Assistant coach Joe Connor spoke to the club media. “It was a bad football game.
“We were fine with the spell in the first half. We moved the ball very well and had some opportunities. But in the second half, everything we said to them – it doesn't matter if you can't make it into the playoffs, but if you don't want to have a positive outcome either, that's what you get.
“We just drifted out in the second half and the majority passed the game.
“You knew they were going to score towards the end, which was very disappointing.”
Pickering came out of the block often, carving out the first chance of the game in the eighth minute, but Omar Sanyan's teasing cross avoided the revamped Joe Wood.
And after Souleymane Coulibaly bundled the rebounds from the spilled wood effort, three minutes later they had the ball behind the net, which was correctly ruled out due to offside.
Coulibaly fires another effort before Pikes sees that a second goal is not allowed, and the infringement is discovered when the striker slips through the cross at Homewood.
At Pickering, more opportunities passed them in the second half, with Wood's long distance effort blowing past the post before Sanyan detouring the cross slightly.
Instead, it was Botsford that came up with a late winner, where the unmarked Nyantho passed Alfebernet and played two minutes before heading home.
Pikes hopes to deliver better performances when he entertains leader Silsden on Saturday (3pm).
