AFC Normo 0-5 Melbourne Dynamo

More cup joy for the lads.

Dynamo headed north up the M1 to face AFC Normanton in the First Round of the Buckingham Insurance League Cup. The hosts had pushed league leaders South Normanton Athletic all the way the week before, so a tough game was expected.
Four changes to the starting XI from the previous week as Moore, Peverley, Griffiths and Smith came in for Jones, Goodband, Muir and Nkrumah. Withers and Dawson returned to the bench after missing last weeks win.

Overnight and early morning rain had made the pitch very soft down the middle, but Dynamo started brightly and should’ve led, as Griffiths shot was saved by the keeper and the ball looped into Brown’s path, but he miscued his attempt on goal. AFC Normanton were working the ball well out of tight areas and showed glimpses of an attacking threat. Cox had to be quick off his line a couple of times to deny the opposing forward.

Dynamo made the breakthrough after 20 minutes, as Brown did well to cut-back the ball to Griffiths who then curled an unstoppable shot into the top right hand corner for his 9th goal of the season. The pattern of the game didn’t really change as the home side still showed some good intent in the game and it was fairly even as the half-time whistle approached. There was still time for Dynamo to double their lead; Moore stepped forward well from the back as he had done all half. His ball sent Brown free down the left, and his dangerous cross was only half-pushed away by the keeper. Moore had continued his run into the box to tap home into an empty net for his first goal for the club. Half time, 2-0.

Goodband replaced Brown at half-time and for the first 15 minutes Dynamo were slow out the blocks and AFC Normanton should have scored when their lively left-winger hit the bar when free at the back stick. Changes were made as Moore, Bickerton and Smith were replaced by Dawson, Jones and Withers.

The third goal went to the away side, as good work down the right saw the ball played across to Goodband, who’s miss-hit shot went to his advantage as it avaded the home defender and trickled over the line. The home side now pushed on and left gaps at the back. Withers looked lively when he come on and he too got his goal after the keeper pushed away another attempt at goal. The icing on the cake came at the end, as another fierce shot by Goodband was parried by the home keeper and Peverley followed up to make it 5-0.

The home side will feel the scoreline was a tad harsh, but we scored our goals at the right time and showed our strength in depth when we made the changes and finished the game strongly.

Onto to Friday night as we head to Mansfield Hosiery Mills for a ‘floody Friday fixture‘.