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Club News

U18S FIGHT BACK TO DRAW

7 October 2013

Club News

U18S FIGHT BACK TO DRAW

7 October 2013

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The Town Under-18s recovered from two goals down on Saturday to earn a point in a League Cup tie with MK Dons.
 
Paul Driver had Zane Banton available for the fixture and he returned in attack with Daril Ngwala reverting to the wide midfield role he had occupied in earlier matches.
 
The first real chance of the game fell to the visitors in the 13th minute when Galloway burst into the box and rounded Craig King but Lee Hawkes got back on the line to block his shot.  The Hatters struck back with three attempts within the next ten minutes as shots from Jemale McKenzie-Lowe and Charlie Smith went just wide before MK Keeper Burns produced a smart tip over the bar to deny Banton.
 
It was the visitors who struck first in the 28th minute when Rasulo found himself space to hit a shot from 25 yards that went in off the post.  The same player nearly doubled the lead in the 30th minute but King produced a smart block to deny him.
 
The Dons doubled their lead within four minutes of the restart with a run and strike from ten yards and this seemed to spark the Hatters into life and they halved the lead in the 59th minute when a Smith cross was headed home by Ngwala.
 
Further chances were created by Ian Rees, Arel Amu and Banton within the next five minutes but none were able to draw the Hatters level.  The visitors then struck the cross bar in the 65th minute and King saved well from a counter attack four minutes later.
 
The equaliser came in the 80th minute when a quick corner was played to Smith and his cross found Banton who wriggled clear to beat Burns from close range.
 
Both teams had chances of securing all three points - the Hatter best one seeing Burns tip over an excellent Smith shot from 20 yards - but the game finished in a draw.
 
"It's great that we have showed the tenacity to fight back from being two goals behind and could have sneaked it at the end.  On the downside, the defending today was (at times) poor and that is a worry as we haven't learnt from the focus of the training this week.”

Town: King, Crilley (sub Galliford 63), Hawkes, Rees, Chabata, Tamplin, Amu, Smith, McKenzie-Lowe, Banton, Ngwala.  Subs Not Used: Barnes, Allman, Amadi, Tayali.

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