Match Report: Dunstable Town 1-2 Wormley Rovers

Photo: Mulik Rickman pulls a goal back for Town.

Written by James Smith

Photos by James Smith and George Lewington

It was a below par performance from Dunstable Town in their last home game of the season saw playoff chasing Wormley Rovers take the three points at Creasey Park.

Town were missing influential centre back Jamie Ovington through suspension as Steve O’Reilly rotated the squad with Liam Hayden, Harrison Mead, Jack James and Mulik Rickman all starting on the bench.

The game started brightly with both teams playing attacking football but strangely this came to a halt midway through the first half.

In the seventh minute a good ball from Alfie Osborne found the lively Sam Ezenwaka who cut it back to Ethan Goulding but his cross was too high for a team mate to connect with.

Photo: Sam Ezenwaka was the Blues’ man of the match.

Blues keeper Alex Desmond then did well to palm away Erald Desa’s strike, which moved through the air vigorously.

Wormley shot over with 15 minutes on the clock but the match then slowed in pace and intensity from both teams.

Sloppy play at the back by Dunstable nearly led to a goal for the visitors but a last ditch tackle prevented a Rovers player getting his shot away with twenty four minutes gone.

A minute later the visitors almost took the lead when Jeremie Mukendi hit a powerful shot against the bar from 20 yards.

Wormley kept the pressure on and they thought they had scored on twenty nine minutes but it was ruled out for offside.

Town nearly opened their account when visiting keeper Carlos Simeon was caught out by Finbar King who did well to close him down and get something on the ball but it agonisingly hit the post.

Dunstable’s ‘achilles heel’ came back to haunt them again with a slow start in the second half, which saw an early goal conceded.

Town failed to get bodies back from their own attack as Rovers countered and Josh Asiedu cut inside to hit a fine strike on the angle into the net with three minutes played of the half.

In the 53rd minute it was 2-0 in controversial circumstances. Desmond came for a cross and was taken out by a Wormley player, with everyone, including the visitors’ management expecting a free kick to be given, Louie Offer managed to hook the ball over his head and into the net. Much to everyone’s surprise the goal was allowed to stand.

The match became slow paced again as a raft of substitutions took place with Town freshening things up while Rovers made tactical changes to defend their lead.

With 71 minutes gone though Dunstable were given a lifeline when Rickman’s header took a deflection passed Simeon into the net to give his team hope.

Photo: A frustrating afternoon for Steve O’Reilly.

However, there was little more action to report as efforts on either goal became limited with Wormley taking the points to keep them in touch with the play off places.

For Town it was a disappointing day in front of their biggest crowd of the season with 325 supporters in attendance.

Team: Desmond; Kenna; Sales; Butt; Onu; Osborne; Goulding; Bircham; King; Ezenwaka; Lodder.

Subs: James; Rickman; Mead; Hayden; Hatton.

Attendance: 325.

Town Fans Man of the Match: Sam Ezenwaka.

📸 James match photos:

facebook.com/share/1APDv3e6X7/

📸 George’s match photos:

facebook.com/share/1ACL4jauce/

Photo: Dunstable Town Youth Section and junior supporters.