Ambers League Cup campaign up and running

Saturday’s hat-trick hero Alfie Dodsworth took his goals tally to five in two games as he grabbed a brace to help The Ambers progress in the NCEL League Cup, whilst achieving a third win of the season over Eccleshill United who must be thoroughly sick of the sight of us, and as with the two previous meetings, this one was yet another tight game that showed that there is very little to choose between the two sides.
In a fairly low-key start to the game, Dodsworth fired the first opportunity wide before debutant Matt Reay stepped in at the other end to clear the ball away from danger after a scramble in the Ambers’ box. Michael Trench then sent Shaun Tuton racing away down the left and when he was held up by a defender, the supporting Mitch Carlton picked up the loose ball but arrowed his effort wide of the far post.
The visitors then started to exert some pressure, with Dylan Parkin firstly saving a long range shot from skipper Ndlovu, before then getting down well to keep a close range effort out following a left wing corner, with Owen Haigh then clearing King’s follow up attempt off the line. Ghussein then showed some good footwork to bamboozle Trench for a moment, but then fired his shot into the side netting.
Henry Carne was then unlucky to pick up a yellow card for his first offence out on the left wing, and further punishment was dealt out when Ndlovu’s free kick was parried by Parkin straight into the path of full back King who poked the ball over the line to put The Eagles ahead in the 28th minute.
The Ambers were then indebted to Parkin who stood tall and denied Sangster who had raced through unchecked and should have doubled the lead before a stooping header by Reay from Dodsworth’s set piece delivery looped wide of the target. A second Eccleshill goal on the stroke of half time was correctly wiped off by the Assistant’s flag, but the consensus at the break was that The Ambers had been way off the mark and needed to improve if they wanted to progress into the 3rd Round, and within ninety seconds of the referee’s whistle to re-start the game, all was good again in the Ambers’ world as Tuton’s run and cross from the left wing picked out the unmarked Dodsworth who had the simple task of rolling the ball home.
However, the visitors were in no mood to sit back, and after Ghussein headed a chance wide, Amole tried his luck when a ball deflected kindly to him, but he was unable to keep his volley on target. Within a minute, the game turned back in favour of the hosts when Carne headed a ball on to Carlton who’s slightest of touches sent Tuton racing into the box. As the big man cut back onto his left foot to try and get his shot away, Laird was enticed into a rash challenge and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. Up stepped Dodsworth and he sent Wilzynski the wrong way to claim his 8th goal of the season.
The Ambers then missed a glorious chance to take the game away from United when Carlton burst through onto Dodsworth’s through ball, but his attempted chip over the keeper didn’t have sufficient elevation to beat him, and another opportunity then went begging when sub Aaron Moxam played a great crossfield ball to Tuton whose pass inside picked out Trench but his close range effort on the run was smothered by Wilzynski.
As Eccleshill pushed forward in search of a late equaliser, the chances continued to come for The Ambers and Carne’s long ball down the right sent Moxam racing clear, but after he had tiptoed around the keeper, his cross towards the incoming Carlton was scrambled away for a corner, and less than a minute later, the always impressive Ndlovu smashed a glorious 25 yard effort past Parkin and into the top corner of the net to level things up with just six minutes remaining.
It was now stick or twist time for both sides with a penalty shoot out looming, and it was The Ambers who played the winning card three minutes later. Once again, man of the match Tuton was the architect, as his run and cross from the right was only parried by Wilzynski at full stretch, and before he could retrieve the situation, substitute Leon Howarth spun onto the ball and thrashed it past him to take The Ambers through to the next Round.
Next up for The Ambers are three long away trips within a week, starting at Pickering Town on Saturday.