Biggleswade United 2-2 Dunstable Town 9th November 2019 Written by Patrick MacKay pics by Chris white. For the second consecutive week Dunstable Town conceded a late equaliser, having earlier led the game by two goals. Despite a slow start, the home team had the first clear chance of the game when Lorrell Smith was fed a through ball, but his low shot was equalled by the foot of Dunstable goalkeeper Dan Gould. The resulting corner seemed to bear witness to a lack of height in the home team, with a clever corner delivered along the ground resulting in a blocked shot. Within the space of five minutes Biggleswade found themselves two down, the first blow being struck when captain Seb Smith headed in from a corner in the fourteenth minute, the away team's first chance of the game. Having gained the lead, Dunstable came alive and went in search of a second, and some fine work down the flank from Daniel Trif saw a deflected cross arrive at the feet of Chris Stapleton, who had all the time and space needed to fire into the bottom corner. Between the two goals, Joe Hankins had a shot blocked which led to a Biggleswade counter attack, but led to nothing thanks to a fine last-ditch tackle from Eric Ameyaw. The Blues' pressure continued, and a Stapleton cross was nodded in by Joe Hankins, but the linesman's flag was on hand to deny a three goal lead. Trif was again proving difficult to hand down the right, and another of his crosses found Hankins, who controlled, turned neatly and shot low, only to see the home goalkeeper Garan Gordon-Stearn get down well and turn the ball onto the post. Only minutes later United were back in the game courtesy of a follow-up shot from Lorrell Smith after Carl Chambers saw his effort saved. The Blues were quickly looking to restore their two goal cushion, and before half time, a Dan Blackman long ball saw the United keeper come to meet the ball but completely miss it, allowing Hankins to control and direct a shot on target, but the ball was cleared literally at the last second by a recovering defender. Biggleswade came out with a fresh impetus for the second half, and quickly forced Gould into an unconventional save, deflecting the ball over the bar with his feet. Increasingly slippery conditions and some erratic refereeing began to become a factor. Gould faced a busy second half, but when Seb Smith was booked after what seemed a well-timed challenge, the free kick from a dangerous position did not require the goalkeeper's attention. A combination of the rain and Gordon-Stearn in the United goal gifted Dunstable a chance to reestablish their two goal lead when the 'keeper sliced a kick from a backpass high in the air and with Chris Stapleton ready to head into the empty net, Gordon-Stearn frantically punched the ball away and cleaned out Stapleton in the process. To have the decision go their way was a big let off for the home side. Having weathered the pressure of the second half well, despite a strange red card for Hankins with thirteen minutes left to play, the equaliser did eventually come when Kieran Igbanoi's cross found its way directly into the back of the net. Dunstable Town host Aylesbury Vale Dynamos on Tuesday evening at 19:45, before welcoming Crawley Green to Creasey Park on Saturday 16th November at 15:00.
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