BERMUDA CUP SEMI-FINAL: AFC BINLEY 1-1 DUNLOP RESERVES (2-3 IN A PENALTY SHOOTOUT.) THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT...

 Thompson Makes Hat-trick Of Shootout Saves As Dunlop Make Bermuda Cup Final…

AFC Binley 1-1 Dunlop Reserves (2-3 on penalties)

(Bermuda Cup Semi-final…)

Certainly Dunlop’s contingent of players, staff & followers made this tie buzz, especially when a very late and dramatic equaliser flew past home ‘keeper Ash Riley and the sideline broke like an unruly attack from a WW1 Somme trench into no-man’s-land to mob goalscorer Derron Dunkley. In truth though, Dunlop had missed good chances throughout the game and when Binley had scored after the recess, those present looked rather surprised.

BRADY & GODFREY TOSS...

Binley’s goalmouth was as busy as Primark following a lengthy pandemic lockdown after Dunlop conceded that goal to Binley’s midfield grafter Karl Bell but the visitors didn’t, er, tyre (get it?) as they laid siege to the home goal. They got the reward they sought and took the match into a penalty shootout but even though Riley saved Dunlop’s first spot-kick from Michael Bawden, three of Binley’s low penalties were not struck with enough venom and Thompson plunged to keep out those efforts by Jon Govier, Jack Campbell-Watkins and skipper Andy Godfrey. Only Brian ‘The Messiah’ Ndlovu and strike partner, the limping Tyler Morgan scored with their kicks, whilst for Dunlop, Louie O’Connor, Connor Andrews and the impressive Brandon Patterson were successful.  

Only three times before the break did Binley cause anxiety for the dominant guests but Thompson wasn’t called upon to make a worthwhile save. Bell sliced wide, Ndlovu volleyed well wide and Morgan’s glanced header was poor and off target from a Godfrey free-kick after losing his marker. And that was it really, for despite some neat playmaking by Sam Turrall in midfield and some unselfish running by Ndlovu, Binley offered not a lot, offensively. Indeed, Ndlovu’s main mode of ball control was with his chest, for that was the usual kind of pass which he was expected to deal with, sporting a defender hard on his back too. It was the same for Morgan to an extent…

AFTER BEING KILLED BY THOMPSON, THE PRESENCE OF THE MESSIAH, RIGHT, BRINGS MORGAN BACK TO LIFE...

Dunlop though were held together by the bright play of Patterson and the main threat emanated from dangerous wingmen Dunkley and Lawrence Amin, ably supported by Wendel Moyo, who didn’t appear after the interval. Striker Keenan McClure saw a shot deflected wide by Seb Kassar then later was given time for another shot from 15 yards but his placed effort rolled past the right stick. 

A LULL IN THE GAME...

Amin cut inside often and taxed Godfrey but the defender did make a fine double stop, from a header and a shot by the winger, although Dunlop claimed a penalty for the use of an arm, which didn’t move the main official in the slightest. Bawden nodded wide and skipper Ryan Brady handled as he tried to control the ball 12 yards out, following a punch clear by the busy Riley.

MORE DEFENDING FOR BINLEY...

However, Patterson had a low shot deflected wide by Godfrey, before his fine 23 yard free-kick struck the crossbar, although Riley might have got a glove to that and when Moyo slipped Patterson away, the midfielder perhaps shot too hurriedly and his low drive was skewed wide of the left post from 19 yards. 

THE MESSIAH: STUCK TO HIS TASK RELIGIOUSLY...

Corners had been a problem for Binley to defend, from Moyo and Patterson but the hosts reached the break at 0-0. However the number of chances scorned by Dunlop after the interval must have really frustrated their coaching team, especially when Binley took the lead and might have scored a couple of times more on the break.

BRIAN SEEMS CONCERNED BY HIS NOSTRILS...

Turrall shot well off-target for Binley, but saw a better drive deflected by Patterson just beyond the right angle of vertical and horizontal frames, whilst Ndlovu reached the right byeline and rapped the ball against the outside of the right post, then got free at inside left but pulled his low 15 yard shot against the left upright. As Binley regained possession from that, an error by Dunlop’s otherwise steady defender Jamie Tiff offered Morgan a chance to shoot from 17 yards but Thompson rose like a Scottish salmon to turn the ball away for a corner. Morgan was also unable to get his head to a fine Kassar free-kick and Ndlovu claimed a penalty when the ball bounced up onto a Dunlop arm.

BINLEY'S PLAYMAKER TURRALL HELPS OUT DUNLOP'S PLAYMAKER PATTERSON...

Before Binley scored, Dunlop had seen a wild sliced shot by the ever dangerous Amin pass way off target, following a short corner by Patterson, an O’Connor corner was fumbled but grabbed by Riley but soon two opportunities in particular were close to giving the Dunlopians the lead. First, a deft Patterson pass freed the bullish McClure at inside-left and he was clearly intending to lob the advancing Riley but he angled his body to use his right boot, not his left and Riley caught the effort easily. Patterson smacked a fine shot from downtown which Riley tipped over his crossbar but despite three valuable right-flank corners all being kicked behind the goal-frame by Binley’s Godfrey (twice) and replacement Campbell-Watkins, the hosts actually snatched the lead. 

Ndlovu battled his way to the right byeline and his angled pass back towards the centre of the 18 yard line found Bell criminally alone and he had time to control the ball and shoot low into the left corner of the net.

GOAL FOR BELL...

Binley then began to drop into defensive mode and didn’t really mount another attack of note, despite the efforts of Ndlovu in particular. However, Dunlop rained pressure on the home goal. O’Connor shot low to Riley, fellow substitute Kev Kavanagh pulled a low effort across goal, Bawden drove well wide, a goalmouth scramble involving Tiff at the right post saw Riley grab the loose ball and another replacement, Andrews shot too high when unmarked just 10 yards out.

MOYO: AN INTERESTING FIRST PERIOD...

A superb first-timer by Patterson from 23 yards skimmed the crossbar, Andrews trickled a low miscue across the face of goal, Dunkley smacked a shot wide of the right post and Bell managed to tackle Amin after another tricky run by the flanker. Riley did so well to turn an angled Kavanagh drive over the goal-frame, an O’Connor corner clipped the inside of the far post, causing mayhem and a Bawden shot was deflected off target.

Subsequently though, parity was regained from a punted Dunkley cross from the right; Kavanagh managed to head the ball back across the penalty-box, it bounced over a cluster of players and fell just right for Dunkley at inside-right and his right-footer was deadly, well struck and left Riley standing as it smacked into the left corner of the net. Cue the advance from the trenches…

EQUALISER FOR DUNKLEY & THE REF SIGNALS THAT 2 MINUTES REMAIN...

Clearly, Dunlop were up for the shootout, whilst Binley seemed hugely disappointed at conceding so late, after such a fine rearguard action, especially by Kenroy Dennisur and Seb Kassar. Govier had defended with real clout too and Godfrey had had to try to defend the moves inside by the drifting Amin. Riley kept goal well…

GOVIER WATCHES MOYO...

Dan Williams of Dunlop and Steven Young of Binley did have a minor scuffle on the field but the referee took no names. It was good to have three officials for the match too, for the use of partisan linespersons can be a recipe for disaster…  

The shootout went as described above and the noise from the Dunlop faction was colourful, excited and ecstatic as they raced to devour Thompson, the Hat-trick Gloveman…  

On to Copsewood and the Final for the Dunlopians…     

SQUADS:

AFC BINLEY:

ASH RILEY, ANDY GODFREY (CAPT), JON GOVIER, KARL BELL, SEB KASSAR, KENROY DENNISUR, JAYDON BICKLEY, SAM TURRALL, TYLER MORGAN, STEVEN YOUNG, BRIAN THE MESSIAH NDLOVU, LEON HIGGS, AARON LAMING, MTSHUMAYELI NCUBE, RILEY TURRALL, JACK CAMPBELL-WATKINS.

DUNLOP RESERVES:

JOSH THOMPSON, SPENCER SMITH, DERRON DUNKLEY, LOUIE O’CONNOR, LAWRENCE AMIN, CONNOR ANDREWS, RYAN BRADY (CAPT), BRANDON PATTERSON, KEENAN MCCLURE, MICHAEL BAWDEN, JAMIE TIFF, KEV KAVANAGH, WENDEL MOYO, ASH JACKSON, LOUIS SWEENEY, DAN WILLIAMS.