Shepshed Dynamo pay price for first half woes
BUILDBASE FA VASE THIRD ROUND STOURPORT SWIFTS 4 SHEPSHED DYNAMO 3
SHEPSHED Dynamo’s Buildbase FA Vase campaign came to an end in the third round. Stourport Swifts progressed to the next round with a 4-3 victory at Walshes Meadow on Saturday.
Shepshed got off to a catastrophic start and were three goals down 16 sixteen minutes.
Nick MacPherson opening the scoring for Swifts on five minutes, followed by a Ryan Woollacott double on 12 and 16 minutes.
But like in previous rounds Dynamo’s never say die attitude kicked in. Matt Melbourne pulling one back on 30 minutes and Liam Canavan reducing the arrears further on 56 minutes.
As Shepshed were getting the better of Stourport, Woollacott completed his hat trick. Dynamo again didn’t give up Jake Betts making it 4-3 on 79 minutes and it was resolute defending and heroic saves from Dominic Richards which saw Stourport hold on to book their place in the fourth round.
This was Shepshed’s first game since their previous round victory over Worcester
City and they were caught cold early on.
Stourport took the lead on five minutes MacPherson reacting the quickest to Drew Canavans free kick turning to fire home from close range.
Melbourne tried to get Shepshed back on level terms on 10 minutes but his effort was off target.
Jack Watts went close for the hosts on 11 minutes. A minute later Swifts doubled their lead. Shepshed switched off and allowed Stourport to take a short corner. Woollacott was free in the box and his glancing header beat Matty White in the Shepshed goal.
Dynamo’s day got even worse on 16 minutes Bailey Fuller’s corner came off the crossbar. White managed to punch clear but his clearance fell to Woollacott to volley Stourpor’ts third home.
This seemed to wake Shepshed up as they began to press their own input into the game.
Liam Canavan’s free kick was blocked on 18 minutes and likewise Shay Brennan’s shot two minutes later.
Dynamo got themselves back in the game on the half hour mark. Liam Canavan breaking down a Stourport attack he found John King who in turn found Brennan down the left. His cross was met by the head of Melbourne which looped past Richards into the bottom corner of the net.
Dynamo came out strong in the second half. Brennan firing wide on 48 minutes and Prenderville going close on 53 minutes before Liam Canavan went close on 55 minutes and Brennan’s shot was saved by Richards a minute later.
Almost straight away Shepshed were back in the game Liam Canavan curling his effort passed Richards to make it 3-2.
Dynamo were pressing for an equaliser and it was the heroics of Richards which thwarted Shepshed. Saving from Brennan on 62 minutes and then Betts, followed by Prendervilles effort blocked on 64 minutes.
Just as it looked like Dynamo were taking control of the game Stourport broke. They were given a corner on the right hand side and Woollacott rose the highest to head home Stourport’s fourth and his hat trick on 73 minutes.
Dynamo threw everything at it in the last 10 minutes, Motshweni saved on 83 minutes followed by Melbourne and John King both off target on 89 minutes and as the game went into injury time both King and Brennan had chances blocked.
For the third consecutive round Shepshed had to come from behind but the gap was too much to bridge and it was Stourport Swifts who were to progress to the next round.
A hard fought and entertaining tie. Dynamo’s attentions now turn to the league.