DUNSTABLE TOWN 3 STOTFOLD 1
Premier League Cup quarter final
Dunstable secured their eighth successive win over county neighbours Stotfold, in league and cup games as Jonathan Copper bagged a brace to book a spot in the last four of the league's knock-out competition.
Stotfold seem to be perennial cup opponents for the Blues and the sides recently met at Roker Park with the Blues winning by the only goal in a game that was tight as a drum.
The game was a lot more open with both teams fielding fringe players, and Stotfold made an excellent start when Lewis Holmes netted a snap cross from the left after just two minutes.
Dunstable responded quickly with some good attacking football involving quick pass and move, and it was from such a combination that they equalised after 12 minutes with Matthew Judge providing a neat pass to Cooper just inside the penalty area with the former slipping the ball past Brad Gilham.
Stotfold’s challenge seem to fade after this and the game was characterised by sweeping attacks from Dunstable with the Rokermen looking to respond with a quick break.
There were no further goals until after the interval, after which the same pattern was replicated and saw two truly magnificent goals.
The Blues took the lead after 56 minutes when Peter Holmes took possession inside the visitors’ half and evaded five players before finishing in supreme style, a truly individual effort.
With 20 minutes to go Dean Brennan’s measured cross from the right to an unmarked Cooper saw the goalscorer trap the ball before lobbing the goalkeeper from distance.
Returning striker Luke Lincoln was unlucky not to score when his right-footed shot struck the foot of the post and follow-up moves saw Stoftold clear twice from the line, to keep the score a little bit more respectable.
This was a comfortable win for the Blues on a sodden, heavy pitch and they will meet either St Margaretsbury or Harefield United in the semi-final.
The the Division One Cup, Crawley Green eased through to the fourth round as Vinnie Shrieves struck for all of the goals for the away side to down county rivals Bedford FC 4-1.
The Green man put his side in front four minutes before the break. Bedford would level just before the hour through Keith Thomas but they were only on terms for a minute as Shrieves fired in again.
He completed his hat-trick on 84 minutes and then claimed his fourth deep into stoppage time.
