AFC Dunstable hold on to make FA Trophy progress by beating Bishops Cleeve

AFC Dunstable won through to the next stage of the FA Trophy after an excellent victory at Hellenic League Division One South side Bishops Cleeve on Tuesday night.

Due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last Thursday, all Saturday games were postponed so Steve Heath’s men travelled to the to the outskirts of Cheltenham in midweek, both sides holding a perfectly observed minutes silence before kick-off.

Brett Longden was suspended for the trip, while Newman Carney was sidelined through injury along with Saul Williams, although BJ Christie was able to make the bench while he manages his game time after injury.

Nathan Frater was unavailable too, as Ben Farrell is getting game time at Eynesbury Rovers for a short period.

The OD's started the game well and on the front foot with Lewis Thorpe firing just over in the second minute.

Early pressure told nine minutes later when the ever lively Max Hercules delivered a perfect cross to John Shamalo to score his first senior competitive goal for the club, heading home at the far post.

AFC remained in the ascendancy with Kieran Hamilton having a fine effort saved by Lewis Clayton in the Mitres goal on 19 minutes.

Clayton was called in to action again with half an hour gone, denying Lucas Kirkpatrick effort and making a follow up stop from Hercules.

Some 'handbags' two minutes later ending up with Noah Smerdon and Harrison Reeves being shown the yellow card for the hosts.

Kirkpatrick worked Clayton's hands again in the 37th minute before Smerdon fired over at the other end.

Three minutes later AFC doubled the lead when a scrap for the ball fell kindly to Louie Collier in the six yard box, who showed good skill and composure to fire the ball home at the near post.

Sam McClelland almost netted a fine strike at the wrong end in the 42nd minute when he slid in to cut out a cross only to see his effort crash off the post from the edge of the box to safety.

Hercules had the last effort of the half when he cut inside and called Clayton into making another fine stop.

The opening quarter of an hour of the second half brought little action until Hamilton picked up the ball 25 yards out and hit a fine strike which nicked off a defender, beating Clayton all ends up.

Will Turner had a wild effort over Jamie Head's bar soon afterwards, before Shamalo and Hercules linked up well to force a corner which McClelland headed over.

Turner was booked in the 73rd minute and received a second yellow two minutes for bringing down Shamalo on the edge of the area, as the hosts were down to 10 men.

However, this seemed to galvanise Bishops Cleeve more than AFC as the home side had a free header just wide from a corner three minutes later.

A return to the pitch for Charlie Pattison after nine months out through injury in the 79th minute gave him and the squad a big boost, but the last 10 minutes almost saw AFC throw away all their hard work as panic set in.

First, Thorpe failed to deal with a crossfield ball, which lead to Kai Newman pulling a goal back on 81 minutes and then Alasan Ann could only divert a cross into the top corner of his own net to reduce the deficit even further six minutes from time.

Head was cynically taken out towards the end of the game, causing a brief melee but visitors saw the game out and progressed to the next round where they will travel to Thatcham Town.

AFC are also back in league action this weekends at Hadley FC, kick-off 3pm.

AFC: Head; Thorpe; Okito; Ann; McClelland; Frederick; Hercules; Kirkpatrick (Tavernier 74); Shamalo; Collier (R Frater 90); Hamilton (Pattison 79).

Subs not used: Abraham and Christie.

Attendance: 67.

AFC Man of the Match: Max Hercules.