Page 4 - Yate Town FC v Dover Athletic FA Cup replay 261021

As we prepare to host Dover Athletic once again in the Fourth Qualifying Round of
the Emirates FA Cup, I would like to start these programme notes by once again
thanking the efforts of everyone who did their utmost to make sure last week’s
fixture went ahead as planned.
I would also like to extend a thank you to everyone involved with both clubs, who
waited very patiently last Tuesday only to hear the disappointing news that the
game would not go ahead.
Saturday saw one of Yate Town’s most accomplished performances of the season
as goals from Dave Sims-Burgess, Olly Mehew and James Harding saw them defeat
Walton Casuals 3-1.
Paul Michael’s men broke the deadlock on 22 minutes. Will Tunnicliff’s first cross
was blocked, but he retained the ball and span his defender before delivering into
the box for an unmarked Sims-Burgess. The tall striker still had a lot to do, but he
leant back superbly to guide his header from 12 yards out neatly into the bottom
corner and give Yate the lead.
Four minutes later, a Walton corner was cleared and fell to Ricardo Rees. Mehew
was the only man forward – Rees found the in-form striker on the halfway line with
a precise through ball. Mehew preceded to leave Stags captain Joshua Lelan for
dust, powering into the box unchallenged, rounding keeper Alfie Jones and calmly
dispatching to double the home side’s advantage.
The Surrey side were no pushovers however and gave the Bluebells plenty to
ponder on half time. Two minutes before the break, Andy Hannah failed to punch
away a corner and the clearance only fell as far as Zidan Akers six yards out – he
leathered the ball past the crowd of white shirts and into the net to give Walton
renewed hope.

Anthony Gale’s side had a decent spell of pressure in the second half but could not
seriously threaten Hannah. The superb defensive performances of Andy Lewis and
Nick Rhodes were typified 20 minutes from time, when after Rhodes had a shot
blocked following a corner, he tracked back and won the ball back on the halfway
line to thwart any threat of a Casuals counter-attack.
James Harding entered the fray in place of Sims-Burgess and his efforts this season
were finally rewarded with a goal. Joe Tumelty turned inside the Yate half and
sprang Mehew into action once again. The ex-Forest Green and Gloucester striker
held his run to perfection to beat the offside trap, and when through one-on-one
against Jones, unselfishly squared to leave Harding an open goal to finish into.
The result leaves Yate in 11 place in the league, but only one point behind Walton,
th
who were on the fringes of the playoffs prior to the match.