A 90th minute penalty from Liam Dolman clinched a first Southern League Central Division win for AFC Rushden & Diamonds 2-1 against an impressive Aylesbury United on Tuesday evening. In an excellent end to end first half Diamonds took the lead on 30 minutes arguably against the run of play as Claudio Hoban finished low under the keeper after being fed through superbly by Sam Brown. Tom Lorraine hit the post as Diamonds finished the first half strongly but they were second best to a hard working Aylesbury United in the second half. It looked like they had seen the game out though when the seemingly inevitable equalizer came on 85 minutes. Alex Collard headed home unmarked from a right wing cross to seemingly deny Diamonds that first win. But Diamonds pressed hard in the final minutes and were rewarded with a penalty on 90 minutes as Dan Quigley was tripped by keeper Tokarczyk. Liam Dolman, an early first half substitute for injured Jack Ashton stepped up and sent the ball into the bottom corner to the relief and delight of the Peter de Banke terrace.
Manager Andy Peaks picked the same side that had been pegged back so late on Saturday at Ware meaning Claudio Hoban started his second game for the side, and Liam Dolman remained on the bench as he recovers from the injury picked up in the first game of the season.
Both sides were determined to attack their opponents from the off and in an open end to end game it was Diamonds who fashioned the first series of chances. On 5 minutes. Tommy Berwick worked his way clear down the right and fed Brad Harris in the box who fired over on the volley from 15 yards.
Claudio Hoban who was prominent throughout then cut in from the left hand side on 8 minutes and saw his shot acrobatically blocked from the edge of the box. Tom Lorraine then burst onto an excellent flick-on by Tommy Berwick but as he looked to break clear of the last man he was just stopped by Aylesbury United defender Jack Wood.
Despite these early chances for Diamonds Aylesbury United had probably had the better possession at this stage of the game but had been let down with some wayward final balls into the box. This changed on 12 minutes as their final passing improved and they fashioned 4 good chances in 4 minutes. Stacey Fields was a threat all night and came close to heading home a whipped in left wing cross on 12 minutes, Jack Wood flicked a near post header from a corner just over on 15, Fields again burst through on goal on 15 and forced Matt Finlay into a fine low save, and Greg Williams hit a 25 yard thunderbolt on 18 that Finlay held low down.
Jack Ashton then picked up an injury and after treatment was led from the field to be replaced by Liam Dolman on 18 minutes.
Diamonds responded to this Aylesbury United spell with improved intensity and better passing in midfield and came closest to opening the scoring on 28. Tom Lorraine struck the post from inside the box with the keeper beaten after good work by Steve Spriggs, and Claudio Hoban smashed the rebound well over the bar.
They only had to wait 2 minutes for that vital first goal though as superb work by Sam Brown inside his own half to retain the ball and surge into space saw him slide an excellent ball inside the full back for Claudio Hoban to run on to. The young winger ran in on goal on the left hand-side of the box and struck cleanly under the keeper Tokarczyk for his second goal in two starts.
Aylesbury United responded with Taylor Collins firing in a superb low effort that Finlay in the Diamonds goal just touched wide. Eoin Casey then got in behind the Diamonds back four and lifted the ball over Finlay but just wide of the right hand post.
Diamonds finished the half with two chances of their own as the game flowed from end to end. Liam Dolman flicking on a near post corner only to see his effort cleared off the line, and Tom Lorraine was in an excellent position to meet a Claudio Hoban cross after a great run but could only turn his header tamely wide.
Half-time: AFC Rushden & Diamonds 1 – Aylesbury United 0
The second half was an altogether lower key affair than the at times breathless first half. Aylesbury shaded possession and looked more dangerous but struggled to create much in the way of clear cut chances. Stacey Field did cut inside on 51 and hit a curling effort just over the bar.
Substitutions were made but the game became scrappy, with Richard Bunting picking up a second yellow card in two games for scything down the energetic Taylor Collins.
Diamonds were struggling to link periods of possession together although Claudio Hoban was still troubling the Aylesbury United back four, hitting another cross at the end of a good run on 61 minutes that Steve Spriggs fired well over.
Tommy Berwick then surged away down the right wing and earned a corner after his excellent cross was blocked on the near post. Three consecutive corners were fired in putting Aylesbury at full stretch to defend before the third one was headed just over by Tom Lorraine.
More substitutions including Scott Joseph for Tom Lorraine failed to ignite Diamonds play and it was Aylesbury who continued to press. Taylor Collins had a snapshot which Matt Finlay held low, and after Quigley had headed a dangerous cross out for corner Aylesbury came very close when a scramble at the near post fell to Collins who hit a point blank volley as he fell that Finlay just managed to bat away.
With Elliott Lamb-Johnson introduced for Steve Spriggs, and a strange tired challenge from Eoin Casey on Matt Finlay producing a yellow card it seemed Diamonds would see out a low-key finish to the game to claim that vital first win of the season.
But just as had happened in the previous two games Diamonds appeared to switch off as a late right wing cross came in to find Alex Collard unmarked on the far post to head home gleefully on 85 minutes.
Disbelief around the ground then turned to tension and excitement for the Diamonds faithful as they were awarded a penalty in the 90th minute. Pressing forward with urgency Tommy Berwick fed the ball into Dan Quigley in the box and he was tripped by Tokarcyzk in the Aylesbury United goal with the referee pointing straight to the spot.
As the ground collectively held its breath (and this reporter could almost not watch) Liam Dolman stepped up and struck the ball firmly and safely into the bottom right corner to the absolute delight of the players and fans together.
A couple of late corners for Aylesbury United had the nerves twanging again but they were seen out and Diamond held on for that vital first win in Southern League Central Division.
Final Score: AFC Rushden & Diamonds 2 – Aylesbury United 1
Aylesbury United proved to be the strongest side Diamonds have played so far and getting the first goal in an end to end game as they had done on Saturday will have pleased manager Andy Peaks. Less pleasing will be their inability to raise the tempo to kill off the game for much of the second half and then to have seemingly seen out the danger only to concede to another far post header so late will be very disappointing. That the team reacted positively to press so urgently in the last few minutes which led to the penalty will be pleasing, and Diamonds unbeaten record of 6 points from 4 games looks so much healthier as a result
Next up is another home game against Chalfont St. Peter who sit second in the early table with 3 wins from 4 games.
Man of the Match: Claudio Hoban chosen by match sponsors Creation Signs & Displays
Attendance: 361
Match Report by Paul Judd
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AFC Rushden & Diamonds |
Aylesbury United |
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17. Matt Finlay 2. Brad Harris 3. Sam Brown 4. Delroy Gordon 5. Jack Ashton 6. Dan Quigley 7. Steve Spriggs 8. Richard Bunting 9. Tom Lorraine 10. Tommy Berwick 11. Claudio Hoban Subs 12. Elliott Lamb-Johnson (for Spriggs 78) 13. Rhys Redding 14. Scott Joseph (for Lorraine 69) 15. Charlie Butt 16. Liam Dolman (for Ashton 18) |
1. Alex Tokarczyk 2. Steve Hatch 3. Lee Grace 4. Jack Wood 5. Alex Collard 6. Billy Adcock 7. Taylor Collins 8. Greg Williams 9. Eoin Casey 10. Stacey Field 11. Sonny French Subs 12. Paul Edgeworth 13. Jack Stillitoe 14. Shaun Owens 15. Bill Morgan 16. Jake Bewley |
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Goals: Hoban (30), Dolman Pen (90) |
Goals: Collard (85) |
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Yellow Cards: Bunting (58) |
Yellow Cards: Collard (41), Casey (80) |
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Red Cards: |
Red Cards: |
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Referee: Grant Taylor Assistants: Will Ottaway, Abdul Kadir |
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