Dunstable Town ease to straightforward St Ives Town win

In-from Dunstable Town eased to a 4-1 victory at St Ives Town in Calor Southern League Division One Central on Tuesday night.

Having take a 4-0 lead, their hosts got a late consolation but it counted for nothing.

Director of football John McLoughlin said: “It was another great result to keep us where we want to be, St Ives will get results this year, but the pitch was awful and the bullying tactics did not stop us playing.

“To be 4-0 up at half time was tremendous, Lee Roache kept their defence busy, allowing our wingers to push on. Chris Marsh and Tony Burnett, I could actually name each player for their performance.

“We are on track and our quality is beginning to shine through and, like I keep saying, we have no headaches at present as the team is picking itself and we look hungry for success.

“I have no doubt if we carry on with this form every team will have to be at their best to even compete against us.”

An even first quarter of an hour saw both sides have chances as keeper Jamie Head had to make his only save of the game from a shot following a corner.

Dunstable proceeded to slip into a higher gear and raced into a four-goal lead in 43 minutes.

The Blues had failed to take advantage of a first minute error, but took the lead when Burnett and Roache combined on the right and Nathan Frater slipped the ball into the bottom left corner.

Dunstable looked increasingly dangerous with Marsh and Burnett cutting in and finding crosses, but it was Marsh who was impeded as Danny Hutchins converted the penalty on 27 minutes.

From a smart counter a deft forward ball found Burnett in space and he was able to elude the advancing keeper to make it 3-0 after forty minutes on 38 minutes.

And a similar move enabled Marsh to make it 4-0 just before half time.

The second half saw the Saints attempt a revival, but they were far too hesitant in both midfield and attack and posed little problem to challenge the domination of the Dunstable back four.

Dunstable pressed again with two good chances for Roache and a superb strike from Adam Watkins that struck a defender on the chest right on the line.

Saints gained scant consolation when Hutchins was adjudged to have committed a foul and Avelino Vieira fired home the penalty with two minutes to play.

Dunstable remain second in the table, but local rivals Barton Rovers have a game in hand with the same number points with Daventry Town still leading the table.

Dunstable travel to Egham Town on Saturday in the league and entertain Aylesbury in the first round of the Red Insure Cup on Tuesday.

Saints: Nick Bennion, Jason King, David Cobb, Dan Newman, Jordan Lambert, Jimmy Dean (C), Jared Cunliffle (Tom Meechan), Dan Banister (Lee Ellison), Avelino Vieira, Karl Gibbs, (Will Fordham), Stuart Cobb. Substitutes not used: Max Roberts.

Blues: Jamie Head, Danny Hutchins, Danny Murphy (Damen Pickering), Joseph Bruce, Marc Leach, Moses Olaleye, Adam Watkins, Tony Burnett (Tony Fontanelle 86), Lee Roache, Nathan Frater (Warren Plowright), Chris Marsh. Substitutes not used: Matt Nolan.

Referee: Paul Evan.

Assistant Referees: Paul McVey and Mark Wetherall.

Star Blue: Marc Leach.

Attendance: 167.