A challenging night in the Gladwish Challenge Trophy saw a rotated MK Irish side fall 3-1 away to Dunstable Town. Despite an early lead, Irish conceded three goals in a ten-minute spell in the first half, ultimately sealing their defeat despite a valiant second-half push.
Irish began with a high press, and Shepherd almost created an early breakthrough, winning the ball just outside Dunstable’s box and firing a shot on target, though the keeper saved comfortably. Dunstable then hit the post in the 3rd minute, a powerful near-post shot that ricocheted back into play.
The match stayed relatively quiet until the 20th minute when Irish struck first. Coleman found Meadows with a bit of luck, and Meadows took full advantage, settling the ball and slotting it past the keeper to put Irish 1-0 up. However, the lead was short-lived, with Dunstable equalizing almost immediately. From the restart, a long ball over the top set up a Dunstable forward, who controlled well, shifted onto his left, and finished in the top corner, leaving Ladyman with no chance.
Irish quickly tried to respond, with Shrieves delivering a cross from the right to Meadows, but his decision to take a touch allowed a Dunstable defender to block. Coleman then attempted a long-range shot, but the Dunstable keeper saved comfortably.
In the 26th minute, Dunstable pulled ahead from a well-executed short corner. The Irish defense was caught off guard, and a low cross-goal shot squeezed past Ladyman’s outstretched hand. Just five minutes later, Dunstable capitalized on a defensive mix-up between the two Irish center-halves. A misplaced clearance left the home side in a 2-on-1 position, resulting in a simple pass across the box for a tap-in to make it 3-1.
With three goals conceded in quick succession, Irish struggled to regain composure, and Dunstable began controlling play, nearly adding more before the break.
HALF-TIME: Dunstable Town 3-1 MK Irish
Irish came out stronger in the second half, making several substitutions to inject energy into their lineup. Substitute Osei-Addo almost pulled one back within two minutes, receiving a ball in from Brito, holding off his marker, and poking it past the advancing keeper, only to see it roll agonizingly wide of the post.
Although Irish looked far more organized and determined, clear chances were hard to come by. Coleman forced a great diving save from the Dunstable keeper with another long-range strike, but Irish couldn’t find the finish to turn their possession into goals.
Dunstable’s defense had a scare when a cross from the right nearly resulted in an own goal, as a Dunstable defender misjudged his clearance, sending it just wide of the post. Brito continued to test Dunstable, firing a half-volley from the edge of the area that was saved well, and another low drive across goal that went just wide in the closing minutes.
FULL-TIME: Dunstable Town 3-1 MK Irish
Goalscorers: J. Meadows (20′)
MK Irish’s run in the Gladwish Challenge Trophy came to an end with a 3-1 defeat to Dunstable Town. Despite taking an early lead, Irish were undone by a ten-minute spell in the first half and couldn’t break down Dunstable’s defense in the second. Improved second-half efforts showed Irish’s resilience, but they were ultimately left to rue missed opportunities.
💭☘️ | POST MATCH THOUGHTS
— Milton Keynes Irish FC (@MKIrishFC) October 15, 2024
Terry Shrieves give his thoughts following another Tuesday night cup exit.#NonLeague #UpTheIrish #SSML pic.twitter.com/uYOnYyfVkg
