Heneghan hits three

In a line up that saw several changes from the weekend, Rovers named a very attacking side and were rewarded in the second half as they came from behind to win.

The game was very slow to get going, Josh Crawley had a tame shot smothered at the near post after the quarter hour in the only opening of note until AFC Dunstable took the lead. Bernie Christie striking a wonderous volley from the edge of the area across goal and into the far corner. The fantastic strike was so out of keeping with the rest of the game to that point. Dan Akubuine had a late effort in the half, on his first Rovers start, that clipped the top of the bar as it curled over. The visitors took the single goal advantage into the break.

The second half warmed up far quicker than the first, Mason Spence hitting an early sighter over the bar from long range before Luke Heneghan was allowed to spin on the edge of the box and unleash a shot that flew just wide. Just before the hour mark, Dunstable thought they had doubled the lead, a superb cross from the left from Christie was met by Norris, who put it into the net. However, the eagle-eyed officials had ruled it out for deliberate handball and issued the only yellow card of the game. Moments later, a cross into the Dunstable box was spilt by the keeper at the feet of Shane Bush. Sansom, in trying to recover his fumble tripped Bush and a penalty was awarded. Heneghan dispatching low to the keeper’s right, Sansom getting finger tips to the shot, but was unable to keep it out. Four minutes later, the referee again pointed to the spot. Josh Crawley deemed to have been fouled as he shot at the edge of the box allowed Heneghan to double his tally and turn the game around. He placed the ball in the opposite corner this time, sending the keeper the wrong way. Less than two minutes later, Heneghan was threaded through by Crawley. The midfielder closed in on goal and hit a left foot shot low and across the face of the target and into the far corner for his hat-trick. Baker hit the bar late on for the visitors, but Carl Knox in the Rovers goal was not called into making a serious save as Rovers saw the game out relatively comfortably.

The win advances Rovers into the first round proper of the Southern League Challenge Cup and await the draw for the next round. The tie is scheduled by the league for the week commencing the first of October. Next up for Kempston is the FA Cup clash with Marlow on Saturday.