Photo: Luka Lodder agonisingly shoots wide.
Written by James Smith
Photos by James Smith
On Non League Day this game won’t go down as one to remember with it lacking intensity and rhythm for most of the 90 minutes.
Town were missing the injured Alex Butt and Sam Ezenwaka plus Will Bishop and Finbar King being unavailable. With Louie Carr being recalled by Hertford Town and Joe Hankins returning to Crawley Green, Steve O’Reilly drafted in under 18’s players Billy Goodwin and Alfie Young to the squad.
Potton had the first chance inside two minutes when Eddie Connolly picked up the ball, drove forward but shot just over.
Dunstable’s best chance came with 15 minutes gone. Liam Hayden was fouled but the referee allowed play to continue with an excellent Luka Lodder shot go agonisingly wide when it looked odds on he would score.
Six minutes later good play from Town saw Alfie Osborne find Lodder who cut the ball back but it couldn’t quite reach the incoming Hayden.
Both teams struggled to keep the ball but Lodder did well to cut inside from the left and shoot but it went over the bar on the half hour mark.
The visitors responded with an attack which ended with a cross that just evaded an attacker at the far post.
On 39 minutes Emmanuel Gbejuade shot over for Potton followed by Harrison Mead shooting just wide for Town.
Photo: Harrison Mead shoots just wide.
Just before half time Alex Desmond made a fine save to deny Gbejuade to keep the scores level at the break.
Minutes into the second half United’s Ryan Lamond and the Blues’ Hayden shot off target with the latter harshly penalised for a foul in the build up.
With 61 minutes gone Hayden shot from an angle but Sam Galatis easily gathered.
Potton substitute Jack Young made an impact on the game with a shot that took a deflection but Desmond did well to read it and make the save.
With ten minutes left a Dunstable attack broke down deep in Potton’s half which led to a counter attack, that almost saw United take the lead with a back post header by Alfie-Ray Turner, which went narrowly over.
On 84 minutes Lodder’s shot was blocked before Jamie Ovington headed over from a corner.
Photo: Jamie Ovington heads over.
Young then shot over for Potton but was denied excellently by Desmond three minutes later as he pushed his effort over the bar.
The game finished with a shot off target by United as both teams will probably feel it was a missed opportunity to take the points.
Town created the better chances first half but never really tested Galatis in the Potton goal while the visitors had the better of the second half.
For the Blues the positives are it’s now only one league defeat since the MK Irish game in mid-November and another clean sheet.
Team: Desmond; Kenna; Briggs; James; Ovington; Osborne; Goulding; Bircham; Hayden; Mead; Lodder.
Subs: Young; Sales; Rickman; Goodwin; Onu.
Attendance: 322
Town Man of the Match: Alfie Osborne
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