AFC Dunstable 1 Hadley 0

AFC Dunstable 1-0 Hadley

Tuesday 11th March 2025.

Both sides will feel they should have taken the 3 points from this fiercely competitive battle. A much

better display from the ODs but Hadley were probably marginally the better side but could not take

their chances.

As seems to be the way, the visitors were in control for the early part of the game and put us under

pressure almost from the kick off but with no end result, due to some determined defending and

some poor finishing. One of their shots cleared the crossbar, the fence behind and most likely hit the

back car park fence it was that wayward! AFCs best effort in the first half was a nice shot from Tali

with 33 on the clock that was well hit but it went wide of the goal.

AFC started the second half much brighter and there were some really impressive team moves and

plenty of good individual performances. Within three minutes of the restart Russell hit a speculative

cross that ended up with the keeper scrabbling to push the ball away and eventually pushed it away

for a corner. Hadley could and should have taken the lead on 50 minutes with a speedy breakaway

effort but the ball was chipped just wide. A minute later another chance for AFC when Ollie played a

lovely ball in to the area but no-one could get to it. Next chance for Hadley 3 minutes later with a

sharp shot on goal and a good save by Matt. It really was end to end stuff.

The move of the match came just after the hour. A long clearance from Matt was superbly brought

down and controlled by Abel who played the ball out to the right to George who then nutmegged

the defender with a through ball to Sean who then smacked the ball home to give us the lead. The

game then turned in to a bit of a well contested battle with both sides creating little half chances –

the best of which for AFC followed a break by Sean who played the ball to Russell but his hesitancy

to shoot saw the ball nicked off him and cleared away.

Hadley started to turn the screw and put pressure on to the ODs and with just 4 minutes of normal

time left they got the break they probably deserved when Kyle Lynch committed a foul in the area

and the ref quite rightly awarded the penalty which was well dispatched by Billy Hayes to bring the

score level at 1-1.

Eight minutes of added time were then indicated (which turned in to 10 played!). AFC were under

the cosh but held out with some good grit and determination. We did create one chance in added

time but Sean’s shot was well blocked by a visiting defender. The whistle to signal the end of the

game was most welcome.

Man of the match (as decided by the AFC committee) was Abel Damoah-Kyeremeh.

Team line up (subs in brackets) ; Matt Bonsu, George Joyce, Archie Long-Nicholls (Kyle Brooks 67),

Abel Damoah-Kyeremeh (Shawn Joseph 82), Ben Lynch, Stan Georgiou, Bruce Ovbiye-Nsang (Sean

Duodu 57), Ollie Spicer (Harry Riley 69), Russell Berko, Tali Jallow (Charlie Davis 57), Kyle Brooks.