Non-League and Academy football writer

Milton Keynes Irish hosted Dunstable Town at The Irish Centre on Tuesday night, in another important Spartan South Midlands Football League Premier Division match. Milton Keynes Irish were looking to continue their excellent form this season ahead of the match on Tuesday, with them sitting in second place in the league, just three points off of league leaders Real Bedford, with two games in hand over them. The team that they were facing on Tuesday, Dunstable Town, sat in 13th place in the league, before this match. I was in attendance at this match (it was my first ever visit to The Irish Centre), and it was a match in which Milton Keynes Irish, despite conceding the first goal of the game, showed why they are where they are  in the league, as they won this match 5-1. Dunstable Town would start the game well, and early on in the match Ricardo Green came close to giving Dunstable the lead. After his powerful low effort, from the right hand side of the Milton Keynes Irish penalty area, went just wide, across the face of the goal.

After George Shrieves had hit an effort over for Milton Keynes Irish from the edge of the Dunstable penalty area, at the opposite end of the pitch Tolu Ikuyinminu found Danny Webb on the edge of the home team’s penalty area. However, his effort went over goalkeeper Tom Ladyman’s goal. There was a really good early pace to the match. Ryan Smith hit a low effort wide of the Dunstable goal on the turn, before a really good effort from JJ Meadows on the edge of the Dunstable box, ended up skimming the crossbar on its way behind. On 17 minutes, Dunstable Town took the lead in the match, through Ricardo Green. After Andrew Osei-Bonsu had an effort blocked inside the Milton Keynes Irish penalty area, the ball came to Ricardo Green on the right side of the box, and the Dunstable Town player hit a low and powerful effort into the goal, 0-1. Milton Keynes Irish looked to respond to going one goal down in the game. JJ Meadows hit an effort from the edge of the Dunstable penalty area, wide of their goal. A couple of minutes later Mason Spence met George Shrieves’ ball at the near post of the Dunstable goal, but his effort from close range was pushed behind well by goalkeeper Alex Desmond.

After Milton Keynes Irish captain Ty Ward had hit an effort wide of the Dunstable goal, the home side managed to draw level in the match. After a Ty Ward corner-kick delivery into the Dunstable Town penalty area, the ball came off a teammate before finding its way to George Shrieves, who scored from close range, 1-1. After the game had resumed, Danny Webb had an effort on goal saved by Tom Ladyman, but just before half-time, Milton Keynes Irish got their second goal of the game. It was a good move from the home side, which ended with George Shrieves hitting the ball from the left side of the Dunstable penalty area, across the face of their goal. However, the ball ended up being unfortunately turned into the goal by a Dunstable defender, 2-1. Milton Keynes Irish showed that same intensity at the beginning of the second half, that they had ended the first half with. After JJ Meadows had hit an effort wide of the Dunstable goal from the edge of their penalty area, Milton Keynes Irish extended their lead. George Shrieves went on a good forward run down the left side of the pitch, before passing the ball to JJ Meadows on the opposite side of the penalty area, from where he powerfully finished into the bottom left hand corner of the goal, 3-1.

George Shrieves would come close to getting his second goal of the game, after receiving a pass from Mason Spence. He showed some good skill to enter the Dunstable penalty area, but his resulting low effort was saved by Alex Desmond. Tom Ladyman then had to make an important save, with the Milton Keynes Irish goalkeeper doing well to push behind an effort from the edge of their box, by Joe Sellers-West, for a corner-kick. The impressive Mason Spence then managed to find JJ Meadows, with a lofted pass in behind the Dunstable defence, a couple of minutes later. However, Meadows’ effort from inside the Dunstable penalty area, was well saved by Desmond. Another good Milton Keynes Irish move resulted in them getting their fourth goal of the game, on 69 minutes. With Ryan Smith receiving the ball on the left side of the Dunstable penalty area, before cleverly turning his way past a defender, and then finishing across goal, into the bottom right corner of the net, 4-1.

 Milton Keynes Irish were not only very good going forward, but they were also very good in defence. By this point in the match, it was all Milton Keynes Irish, and they deservedly got their fifth goal of the game in the 90th minute. Ryan Smith got to the ball inside the Dunstable box, following a clearance off the line. Smith then passed the ball to Mason Spence, who finished well, into the goal from close range, 5-1. Milton Keynes Irish showed real character and confidence in their own game, to turn the result of this game around after going 1-0 down. They have a really good variety of play, and everything in their match with Dunstable Town was done with real purpose. Milton Keynes Irish midfielder Mason Spence had a real presence about him in the midfield. Spence was very influential and creative, showing good skill on the ball and also using the ball intelligently, and he was my player of the match. The former Wales Under 19 international got a goal and an assist on Tuesday, but he really impressed with his all-round play, and his he was very classy on the ball. However, there were a number of Milton Keynes Irish players who I could have given player of the match to, though, such as George Shrieves and JJ Meadows.

I really liked the way in which Milton Keynes Irish played the game, on my first visit to The Irish Centre. Milton Keynes Irish are a very nice club, and make sure to look out for my interview with their manager, Terry Shrieves, in the near future. I plan on going to what promises to be a fascinating game of football, when Milton Keynes Irish face league leaders Real Bedford at The Irish Centre, next month.