The Great Escape - Season 2025/26

Written by James Smith

Photos by James Smith & George Lewington

Some called it the great escape, a miracle or mission impossible but on an afternoon away to Tring Athletic something clicked and the road to maintaining step five football became clearer.

After losing 1-0 to Kings Langley the team were bottom of the league on 13 points with just eleven games left. (See table below).

Source: Full Time

After a poor first half at Tring Athletic in their next game the team were 2-0 down and lacking confidence but despite eventually losing the game 3-2 the performance during the second half would be the start of an amazing run of form and performances full of grit and determination.

It wasn’t just a forty five minutes where the team clicked but individual players also stepped up a gear.

The next game at home to Harpenden Town started a run of results with just two defeats, one against Cockfosters who had just got to the FA Vase Final and the other to Wormley Rovers where we could have got a point from.

Despite being 2-0 down and most people having the view of ‘here we go again’, Town fought back to win the game 4-2 against their opponents from Hertfordshire.

Sam Carman made an important penalty save at 1-0 but the visitors doubled their lead after Plamedi Bomolo had agonisingly missed the target from a yard out.

Bomolo made amends though when he finished well right on half time to keep Dunstable hopes alive.

Israel Ajana was fouled in the area early in the second half which led to Bomolo converting a penalty to level the game.

Luka Lodder then produced a moment of brilliance to give Town the lead then Bomolo sealed the game with his hat-trick.

Photo: Plamedi Bomolo celebrates his hat-trick. (JS)

The reverse fixture took place four days later in what was another crazy game. Dunstable took a comfortable 2-0 lead into the break with goals from Jordan Wright and Ajana but they weren’t the same side second half as they started slowly and fell 3-2 behind. Thankfully Bomolo scored an added time leveller to take a valuable point but many were left frustrated having led the game so convincingly at half time.

Photo: Israel Ajana’s goal at Harpenden. (JS)

The following Saturday the Blues entertained Arlesey Town who were going through a transition period.

Dunstable ran out 6-0 winners with goals from Lodder (2), Wright, JJ Kenna, Jake Anthony and Hadley Gleeson.

Photo: Luka Lodder after his goal against Arlesey Town. (JS)

Three days later we hosted Wormley Rovers in terrible conditions. A storm with high winds and rain came over Creasey Park causing major problems to how Town wanted to play.

Bomolo was on target in the first half but Wormley gained a 3-1 advantage before Anthony pulled one back in added time.

Photo: Horrendous conditions against Wormley Rovers. (JS)

Dunstable then travelled to Hemel Hempstead FC to play AFC Welwyn and came away with a fine 2-0 win with goals from Josh Dooley and Anthony.

Photo: Jake Anthony scoring against AFC Welwyn. (GL)

Another point was then gained against high-flying Risborough Rangers at Creasey Park when Gleeson finished off a great piece of play by Lodder to equalise.

Photo: The ball hits the back of the net from Hadley Gleeson. (GL)

A massive game followed against Kempston Rovers who were also fighting for their lives at the bottom end of the table. In a nervy affair, Ajana’s late first half goal was enough to take three crucial points.

Photo: Ajana celebrates the winner against Kempston Rovers. (JS)

Cockfosters then came to Creasey Park having just made it to the FA Vase Final and showed their quality with a 2-0 win.

Another huge game came against already relegated Crawley Green at Creasey Park but they looked nervy again despite taking the lead through Ajana, Town conceded right on half time and had to settle for a point.

Photo: Ajana scores against Crawley Green. (JS)

All eyes were then on the midweek game at Kempston Rovers who were playing Harpenden needing to win the game.

True to the style of the season, Rovers took the lead, leaving many who were following on social media and a few at the game in a state of anxiety, even more so when the visitors missed a penalty to level it up!

Harpenden did though find an equaliser and held on for a draw, which meant Kempston would join Crawley Green in the relegation places and allowed Dunstable to remain at step five when all looked impossible at one stage.

The final game of the season gave us a 1-0 win against Aylesbury Vale Dynamos courtesy of a Mason Watkins-Clark’s header. The win meant Town finished fourth from bottom in a truly remarkable achievement.

Photo: Mason Watkins-Clark’s winner against Aylesbury Vale Dynamos. (JS)

The table below shows the turnaround in full. An exceptional effort from all Involved.

The final league table.

(Source: Full Time)