AFC Dunstable 2-1 Kempston Rovers
AFC Dunstable 2-1 Kempston Rovers
Southern League Division One Central
Monday 1st April 2024
Tired legs, tired minds but AFC Dunstable unbelievably scored late into injury time for the second successive game to take the points against Kempston Rovers on Monday at Creasey Park.
This was the teams’ fifth game in nine days and many could be forgiven for thinking another win was unlikely given the schedule but the strength of character from them to take four wins from those five games showed tremendous courage.
Tra Lucas created the first opportunity for AFC in the 8th minute with a fine run down the left, his cross just evaded Kyle Brooks at the far post.
Leo Furruch responded for Kempston two minutes later with an effort that Seb Stacey saved. Stacey was called into action again soon after to save from Josh Adepoju at point blank range.
Rovers’ keeper George Whitehall then saved Rio Deall’s strike before Lucas had a golden chance to open the scoring when he went through on goal but agonisingly put his shot wide.
The visitors took the lead in the 27th minute through Adepoju when he received the ball from Farruch and drilled a left footed strike into the bottom corner.
Ten minutes later, the hard working Lucas was through again but his dinked effort just cleared the crossbar. Callum Nicolson then shot narrowly wide of the post for AFC.
Five minutes before half time Lucas was again in the thick of the action but was denied by a fine last-ditch tackle. Eric Ameyaw received a yellow card right on half time for something the linesman had seen.
Rocko Tamplin replaced Rico Greco in the 53rd minute and made an instant impact by levelling the game just three minutes after coming on, firing the ball home from the edge of the box.
Ben Weyman then hit a fine shot on 73 minutes, which Whitehall did extremely well to save, while Farruch made Stacey palm away his goal bound strike at the other end.
The referee indicated 9 minutes of added time due to several delays in the half and what drama was to come in those remaining minutes. Deall came close to the winner as he went through on goal but Whitehall saved well again.
Daniel Tagoe headed just over but was ruled offside before Rovers’ substitute Luca Cardines struck the woodwork. Ameyaw received a second yellow card soon after and AFC were down to ten men but astonishingly instead of settling for a point substitute Ethan Holt kept his nerve when played through and superbly finished in the 7th minute of the nine added to spark scenes of delirium for the second time in 48 hours.
Team: Stacey; Deall; Greco (Tamplin 53′); Weyman; Tagoe; Ameyaw; Brooks (Stirland 90); Nicolson; Idiakhoa; Matshazi (Holt 64′); Lucas.
Subs not used: Ameganvi & Martin.
