FA CUP : Bedfont & Feltham 1 – AFC Rushden & Diamonds 2

Two Dan Quigley goals saw AFC Rushden & Diamonds ease to a 2-1 victory over Bedfont & Feltham in a competitive FA Cup tie on Saturday afternoon. They progress to the 2^nd Qualifying Round for the second time in 3 years and await Monday’s draw to find out their opponents on September 26^th.

They took time to get a hold on the game but took the lead on 32 minutes as the pressure built on their step 6 opponents. Dan Quigley with a superbly directed header from a deft cross from Sam Brown. Bedfont missed a golden opportunity to equalize on 36 when Matt Finlay superbly saved a Jacobe Lambe penalty, but they did get level right on half-time as Mike Campbell swept home from 10 yards. Diamonds pressed for much of the second half and got the vital 2^nd goal on 64 Quigley again turning in an Elliott Lamb-Johnson corner at the far post. Two sending’s off followed including Jack Ashton for a reckless challenge and despite a late rally from Bedfont Diamonds ran out comfortable winners.

Manager Andy Peaks made two changes to his starting line-up with Ollie Wilkinson coming into the back four as Brad Harris moved up into centre midfield to replace the injured Richard Bunting. With Steve Spriggs and Courtney Herbert also still injured Tom Lorraine came in up front for the unavailable Scott Joseph. Youngsters Luke Garner, Joe Ackroyd and Patrick Tulley came onto the bench for first team experience.

On a sunny day it was a relatively low key start to the game with Diamonds dominating possession and probing through good wide play and dangerous balls into the box. Tom Lorraine did almost touch a Dan Quigley ball past on rushing keeper Sam Freeman in the first minute and Tommy Berwick’s great right wing cross was nodded back by Claudio Hoban to Tom Lorraine unfortunately in an offside position on 5.

The home keeper was keen to come out and punch dangerous crosses and long throws and one punch fell only as far as Tommy Berwick on 15 who fired in a low shot that evaded keeper Freeman but was turned over the bar by a home defender as Tom Lorraine closed in.

Diamonds started to threaten more danger to the home side in the middle period of the half with the pace of Elliott Lamb-Johnson and Claudio Hoban prominent and Tommy Berwick and Tom Lorraine running all along the front line. Berwick came close when heading a bouncing Elliot Lamb-Johnson cross just wide, and Tom Lorraine rounded the last defender to find himself free in the box but couldn’t find a colleague with a clever pull back.

Bedfont & Feltham were sporadic in attack but showed real danger out wide in Steven Eyango-Bwanga who fed Mike Campbell in the area on 19, the striker turning well 10 yards out but finding his low shot blocked.

Liam Dolman came really close to the opening goal they were threatening on 26 as Elliot Lamb-Johnson drifted a superb far post cross that the big centre half just headed over.

The opening goal did come 6 minutes later from a similar route. This time Sam Brown worked a short throw well with Brad Harris and his deft cross was headed beautifully past Freeman by FA Cup goal scoring hero Dan Quigley. His second in this year’s competition and third in three games.

Bedfont didn’t in any way fold as might have been expected and reacted superbly to win a penalty at the end of a great move with Eyango-Bwanga tripped in the box by Claudiu Hoban. After an erratic run-up centre forward Jacobe Lambe saw his low effort superbly palmed out by Matt Finlay in the Diamonds goal.

They didn’t have long to wait for the equalizer their late first-half enterprise deserved though as a long ball into the box wasn’t well cleared allowing Eyango-Bwanga to fire in a shot which smacked off the bar, the rebound collected by Mike Campbell who worked some space and fired across Finlay into the far corner.

Half-time:  Bedfont & Feltham 1 AFC Rushden & Diamonds 1

Diamonds almost came out with a bang having a goal disallowed in the first minute of the second half. Sam Brown’s long throw nodded home by Dan Quigley but his celebrations were cut short by an offside flag.

The Sam Brown long throw is always a threat and nearly produced a goal on 52 as his throw was only cleared as far as Claudio Hoban who volleyed over from the edge of the box.

It then produced the incident on 56 that saw Bedfont & Feltham full-back Matt Ward sent off for a second yellow card. He felled Hoban who was jinking through into the box having collected Browns long throw and saw his second yellow as he tripped the Diamonds winger.

Just a minute later Diamonds were also reduced to 10 men as Jack Ashton with a rush a blood jumped into a midfield tackle and was shown a straight red.

After a series of dangerous balls in behind Bedfont & Feltham Diamonds finally got Elliott Lamb-Johnson away down the right on 63 and he fleeced his man and fired a dangerous low cross that was turned over the bar by a defender who knew nothing about it.

And Diamonds took the decisive lead again from Elliott Lamb-Johnson’s resultant corner. His deep ball to the far post was fired home by FA Cup hero Dan Quigley to the delight on the Diamonds faithful massed behind the goal.

With Tom Lorraine dropping into centre midfield and  Brad Harris into the back four it was Tommy Berwick who was Diamonds big threat in this period of the game and he really should have added a third for the away side on 70. He collected a right wing throw, turned and then held off his man as he surged into the box but finished weakly when well placed.

Elliott Lamb-Johnson was continuing to trouble Bedfont at every opportunity and after running at them from half-way he hit a speculative 40 yard effort that took a big deflection but right into the arms of the fortunate Freeman.

A raft of substitutions saw Bedfont & Feltham pushing forward in search of a second equalizer and they came close twice around the 80 minute mark. First Brad Harris was lucky not to be penalised with a challenge on the edge of the box but Campbell couldn’t capitalise as he broke into the box, and then the same player rose unmarked to head a left wing free-kick just wide.

Diamonds held strong though and saw out the final stages fairly comfortably to progress to the 2^nd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup for the second time in their short history.

Final Score: Bedfont & Feltham 1 – AFC Rushden & Diamonds 2

Diamonds weren’t at their absolute best but did enough throughout the game to go through at the first attempt against opposition who belied being two levels below. Dan Quigley was the FA Cup hero again being on the spot to convert twice to now claim all three FA Cup goals this season. Manager Andy Peaks will be disappointed with the goal that was conceded but more than pleased with the way his team defended despite more enforced changes including during the game with Jack Ashton’s sending off. Elliott Lamb-Johnson is returning to the form of last season, and Tommy Berwick and Tom Lorraine worked the front line well all afternoon.

It’s back to league action next week with a top of the table clash at the Dog & Duck against 2^nd place Aylesbury. While the FA Cup draw on Monday will tell us who Diamonds opponents in the 2^nd Qualifying Round on 26^th September will be.

Man of the Match: Dan Quigley

Attendance: 227

Match Report by Paul Judd

 Match Gallery courtesy of Malcolm Swinden Photography (click on the link to access the Diamonds Photo Gallery for more images from this game and ecommerce options). Copyright Mal Swinden ©2015