AFC see off Eagles in FA Cup

Match action from AFC Dunstable's 2-1 win over Bedford Town on Saturday

FA Cup preliminary round: Bedford Town 1 AFC Dunstable 2

AFC Dunstable secured a historic win at near neighbours Bedford Town in the FA Cup preliminary round on Saturday.

It was the first time AFC had entered the competition as they took on an Eagles side who, despite a slow start to their Southern League Division One Central campaign, remain amongst the fancied side.

With injuries still hampering AFC’s manager Steve Heath’s selections, he decided to give three players their debuts for the club in the shape of Danny Murphy, Adiel Mannion and 18-year-old former Luton Town youngster Kyran McGhan-George, whose father Junior George featured for AFC in the past.

Visiting keeper Ricky Perks was called into early action, before AFC took the lead when from a Jermaine Hall corner, McGhan-George rose the highest to head home after nine minutes.

With the visitors playing some neat football, they created another good chance with a fine move that resulted in Hall shooting just wide.

Looking confident, the OD’s defence coped with anything the home side could muster and almost had a second but as BJ Christie broke clear, only to shoot well wide.

With the hosts making all their three changes at the break, they started to get a stranglehold on the game and should have drew level on the hour as a defence-splitting pass put in striker Lee Roach who somehow he fired wide.

AFC Dunstable beat Bedford Town to progress in the FA Cup

They finally did draw level when AFC failed to clear a corner and Josh Bamford was on hand to head into an empty net after 65 minutes.

It now looked if Bedford would progress into the next round, as confidence grew and AFC began to look nervous, although with 14 minute to go, Christie held the ball up superbly to tee up Hall who struck a left footed 20-yard drive into the bottom corner.

The Eagles went all out to force a replay but the AFC defence held firm to set up an away tie at Ryman League side Heybridge Swifts in the next round.

AFC host Kidlington this weekend and then travel to Kempston Rovers on Bank Holiday Monday.

AFC: Perks, Massay, Murphy (Griffiths 85), Beck, Cashman, B Carney (Silford 77), Mannion, Humbert (Cooper 75), Christie, Hall, McGhan-George.

Subs not used: Darby, Byron, Hankins, Kissiedu

Attendance: 152.