Report
Forest with eleven of the first team squad unavailable and safe from relegation, one could have thought Dunstable were on for an easy win but the Forest team, with Hasan Oktay leading by example had other ideas.
Dunstable stared with a purpose and went ahead after only five minutes when pass found its way into the home penalty area and bounced about as if in a pinball machine only to be forced home by Town’s Tommy Doyle.
However, Forest did not fold up, instead Dewayne Clarke and warren Warren Ryan were a constant thorn in the Dunstable defences’ side. Add to the mixture Wayne Brown’s headers from the many corners the home side won and it was Dunstable who seemed to have most of the problems.
The level of Dunstable’s play was perplexing: for a top four team they looked only average in attack and defensively very open as they looked to hang on to the one goal lead rather than play any kind of sparkling football to extend their lead.
Whilst Forest were working hard and securing the midfield Dunstable were happy to lump the ball high in the air for their forwards to run on to. This turned out to be a mistake as, even from goalkeeper clearances the ball was landing beyond the last player in attack.
With 24 minutes gone, Hughes Guei was fouled on the edge of the Dunstable penalty area and the resultant free kick lined up. Cashman created the feint whilst Warren Ryan stepped up and calmly swung the ball into the net from 35 yards.
As the first half drew to a close, Forest could have taken the lead when Brown went up for a corner, his strength gage him the beating of everyone but his goalbound header skimmed off the head of Town’s Julian Old for another corner.
The play swung to the home end where Dean Walker put over a cross from the left wing to Doyle who was standing on the six yard line. Before he could react, Ryan had nicked the ball from Doyle’s feet and was on the attack again.
The second half was more a story of “what could have been” for Forest. Right from the kick off Dunstable looked vulnerable in defence. Clarke outpaced his defenders on the left side, realised that ‘keeper Paul Taylor was off his line and sent the ball over only to see the ‘keeper scramble backwards to get his finger tips to it.
Ten minutes later Clarke fooled Town’s defence again and drew Taylor to the edge of the penalty area: this time the shot went just over the bar.
Dunstable tried to exert the pressure in the second half but Ian Barnes marshalled the defence to allow only long range shots; home ‘keeper Gavin King having to make only one save in the second half.
The only real problem for the home side came on 71 minutes when Town won a corner and took it quickly with Forest’s defence caught napping. Marc Kefford came in at the far post and should have scored but managed to head tamely over the bar.
Forest could have won the game on a number of occasions most notably when Dewayne Clarke was unable to convert Oktay’s excellent cross and when Joe Nartey won a free kick on the left of the field. Cashman sent the ball to the far post where Clarke was to head back across the goal; unhappily there was no follow up and, not for the first time, Dunstable were let off, not for the first time.
In the end, the points were shared but, considering Forest’s selection problems, this was a very creditable point won.