HADLEY 3 AFC 2
Hadley 3 AFC Dunstable 2 (2-0 Half time)
Southern League Central Division 1
Brickfield Lane, Saturday 20th December 2025.
Attendance –
Match report by Richard Church.
A very decent performance from the ODs and a great second half fightback but ultimately another defeat – our eleventh on the bounce but if we keep playing like this that elusive victory we so need has got to come soon.
We could not have got off to a worse start with Hadley taking the lead in the first minute (17 seconds according to one of their committee members!). The home side overloaded the left side from the kick off which left their number 10 Tommy Roberts free in the centre to rifle the ball home giving Matt no chance to react.
AFC did not let their heads drop in spite of the early setback and were actually the better team in the early stages. With 8 on the clock a lovely through ball was played to Ike who looked as though he could have taken it early and lob the keeper but he chose to take a touch and the ball was nicked off him. Four minutes later Axel played the ball in to the box to Ike but he couldn’t quite get to it and the keeper jumped in front of him to grab the ball. Another opportunity on 19 when some good battling from Euan saw him play the ball in to Ike who shot across goal which the keeper tipped past the post – a really good effort and very unfortunate not to score. Ike had another chance five minutes later when Abel played the ball to him but Ike’s first time shot was pushed away for a corner. Ike was desperately unlucky not to get on the scoresheet and his afternoon ended early when he picked up a knock and was replaced ten minutes from the end of the half.
Hadley had a couple of half chances mid way through the half but they were both skied well over the crossbar. We rued our missed chances when Hadley doubled their lead just after Ike went off when a ball was lofted in to the box – it should have been an easy catch for Matt but he inexplicably dropped the ball straight at the feet of Isaac Stones who could not miss. 2-0 down at half time was definitely not a fair reflection of the half – we were the better team.
The second half had barely kicked off when Hadley went further ahead. Romey Meoded’s free kick in from the left evaded everyone in the box and found the back of the net bouncing in off the far post. AFC got on with things and started to run the game. Pressure from the visitors was beginning to pay dividends and with 5 minutes gone Euan ran towards the box but he couldn’t get a shot off and the ball was cleared. A minute later a shot from Maks was just wide of the post. Another chance on 8 minutes when Euan just failed to get his head on to a lovely ball in from Gigi was scrambled away for a corner. Just after that the ODs got their break following some scintillating play from Euan who played the ball to Gigi who then crossed to Levi for a lovely finish. AFC continued to press and barely a minute after replacing Lewis, Eric slammed the ball home to make it 3-2 (possibly Eric’s first touch of the game?). Definitely game on now!
It wasn’t all AFC and Hadley could and should have put the game to bed just after the half hour. An almighty goalmouth scramble saw one effort superbly kept out by Matt and when presented with what looked like an open goal one of the home players blazed the ball wide of the post. In the last minute of the 90 Eric had another shot but the ball whistled just past the post again. In to 5 minutes of added time with Hadley hanging on and just before the end Harry got his head to a cross but it was straight at the very grateful keeper for a regulation save. So unlucky to not get something out of this game – we go again against Enfield next time out.
Man of the match as nominated by the AFC committee was Abel.
Team line up (subs in brackets); Matt Bonsu, Axel Ampedu, Carmichael Uchenna, Abel Kyeremeh, Wits Mgoyo (Harry Riley 57), Ben Lynch - Captain, Joshua Clark-Anderson (Lewis Matthews 40 (Eric Frunza 71)), Maks Jarzabek, Euan Warlow, Gigi Gogia, Ike Okwusogu (Levi Nicholson 35).
