Dunstable Town maintained their momentum on Saturday, with a hard-fought narrow victory over Oxhey Jets at Creasey Park.
After a comprehensive win at London Colney last weekend, the Blues won out again, with a touch of luck involved in Joseph Sellers-West's second-half goal.
Luck doesn't win matches though unless it's backed up with hard work and skill. The first half was a very even affair, but early chances arrived for Town. Dan Trif made good ground in the opening stages, cutting inside the Oxhey right-back, but with nobody in support, he was forced to shoot from a tight angle, harmlessly into the side netting. Kyle Faulkner then forced a great save with a long-range rocket that would have dipped under the crossbar but for the efforts of the visiting goalkeeper, Bradley Shaw.
The home side didn't have it all their own way, and Kyal Williams looked pacy and lively down the left for Oxhey, but ultimately couldn't break down the Dunstable backline.
Town created further chances before halftime, the best of which came from a ball across the face of the goal which Sellers-West was stretching to reach. The ball got trapped under his foot, but persistence saw him eventually force a close range save from Shaw, before then cutting the ball back for Faulkner in the middle of the box, but with defensive reinforcements arriving, his shot was well blocked on the goalline.
Sellers-West continued to impress and was only prevented from a goalscoring opportunity by a perfectly timed last-ditch tackle from Ferrell Charles, who looked assured throughout.
Oxhey Jets had won their previous three fixtures, and after half time, they looked to put Dunstable on the back foot, creating the first chance of the half from a cross to the near post which was poked narrowly wide.
With four minutes played of the second half, Terence Muchineripi received the ball in the box, and played the ball to Sellers-West, who found the space for a shot from the edge of the box. He was closed down by the defender, but saw his shot take a heavy deflection, completely wrongfooting Shaw as it looped into the goal to give the Blues the lead.
Oxhey didn't roll over though, and came close to levelling with two excellent long-range efforts, both of which crashed off the crossbar before being cleared to safety.
In a second half that felt like it lasted for hours, Sellers-West continued to provide the attacking intent which eventually earned him the man of the match award, and came close to doubling the lead when he beat his marker to a pacy cross, sending his shot inches wide of the near post.
Substitute Benji Gray came close late on, when his looping free kick into the box evaded everyone from both sides, and bounced up onto the top of the goalpost before the referee awarded a free kick as the efforts to turn it in ensued.
An attendance of 148 willed the Blues to hold on, and after an extended period of time added on, the Blues got a well deserved three points ahead of Tuesday's visit from Holmer Green.
Written by Patrick MacKay
Photo by Cupcake 99 Football Photography
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