Match Report: Dunstable Town 1-4 Winslow United

Photo: Luka Lodder scored Town’s goal.

Photo & report by James Smith

Dunstable Town hosted league leaders Winslow United on Saturday which saw the return of Steve O’Reilly to the home dugout along with Micky Nathan who will work alongside each other to hopefully turn the teams’ fortunes around.

There is no such thing as a ‘free hit’ game in football but with Winslow having a commanding lead at the top and Town having a tough season so far, this was probably a game that many may have thought would be an easy three points for the visitors. However the scoreline was harsh on the Blues who gave it their all throughout.

The opening ten minutes saw little goalmouth action at either end but Winslow stepped up their attacking play soon after as Alfie Mumford made a good save when he pushed away a strike from the edge of the box in the twelfth minute.

Mumford was called into action again seven minutes later when he saved well from Aaron King’s effort then a minute later he made an identical save from Scott Valentine.

James Sales’ cross-shot hit the roof of the net with 24 minutes gone.

Soon after Winslow thought they had taken the lead but a close range effort was ruled offside.

Luka Lodder was unlucky not to get on the end of a through ball in the 27th minute as the United keeper Jake Stronge just beat him to it.

The visitors should have take the lead on the half hour mark but shot over the bar under no pressure.

Ryan Freshwater received a yellow card for a very late challenge on Mumford as he caught the ball from a cross from the right.

Winslow took the lead in the 37th minute when King flicked on a cross to Harry Scott who scored from eight yards.

Just before half time Dan Woolley fired over for United then King tried a spectacular overhead kick which also went just over the bar.

Mumford pulled off a fine double save four minutes into the second half but Winslow increased their lead in the 57th minute when a cross from the left was headed home by Lynton Goss at the near post.

Another fine save by Mumford five minutes later kept Town in the game before good skill by Lodder on the byline led to the ball getting blocked for a corner.

The visitors scored a third goal on 63 minutes through Scott.

With twenty minutes left Stronge made a fine save to deny Lodder.

Mumford then made a superb save in the 88th minute when he prevented a certain goal after scrambling across his line and to make a sublime stop.

Dunstable deservedly got on the scoresheet when Elliott Kettle’s fine pass found Lodder who ran though on goal and calmly slotted home past Stronge in the 90 minute.

A fourth goal was harsh on Town but it came right at the end of the game when a fine free kick from Scott was whipped in towards the top right hand corner where Mumford got a hand to it but the ball came back down off the underside of the bar and into the net for his hat-trick.

Team: Mumford; Kenna; Sales; Farrell; Wright; Smith; Goulding; Butt; Burnside; Rickman: Lodder.

Subs: Kettle; Young; Gleeson; Madu; Ajana.

Man of the Match: Alfie Mumford.

Attendance: 188