Needham Market's FA Youth Cup run ended at the 3rd Qualifying Round, after a valiant battling performance at AFC Dunstable.
The Young Marketmen had done well to keep the scoreline at 0-0, despite being down to ten men just before the break, but went a goal down in the 64th minute.
In truth, there weren't many clear cut chances at either end, though the hosts had the first chance in the 3rd minute. The hosts broke through into the box, clipping a shot over the onrushing Tucker but found Brad Smith there to clear the shot off the line.
At the other end, Charlie Smy arrived to latch onto a 30-yard pass but saw his first time, low fierce, strike deflected for a routine save for the keeper on 16 minutes.
Smith again was well placed by deflected a shot away from goal two minutes later, while Dunstable smashed a shot from in space comfortably wide of the bottom far corner on 20 minutes.
At the other end, Harlyn Palmer worked space to shoot from 30-yards, but saw his shot deflected - taking the power out of the strike for a comfortable save for the keeper, two minutes later.
Filip Zadlo then curled a cross-shot narrowly wide of the top far corner on 27 minutes, while Roan Tucker dived down smartly to his bottom near corner to hold onto a low shot 6 minutes later.
The visitors however were reduced to ten men on 39 minutes, as Olly Bowman was shown a second yellow card.
Needham were arguably the better side after the restart, good work from Flynn Bobby picked out Evan Gledhill with a low cross, whose twists and turns created space to shoot but saw his low shot blocked on 49 minutes.
Nine minutes later, the away side saw a dangerous free-kick, swung dangerously towards the six yard box, punched away by the goalkeeper, while Dunstable broke the deadlock on 64 minutes.
The home side latches onto the loose ball, following a Needham throw-in, before driving into space and finding the bottom far corner.
The hosts then curled a first time shot over on 71 minutes, while Tucker was well placed to hold onto a low shot at his near post a minute later.
The home side, meanwhile, arrowed a shot just wide of the top far corner in the 75th minute, before rifling a shot just over a minute later.
At the other end, Needham won the ball back high in the hosts' half, drove into space before spotting the keeper slightly off his line, although the stopper recovered to just gather the low shot.
A brave block from a Needham defender hurled himself at a shot from inside the box, at the expense of a corner on 84 minutes, before the hosts sealed their place in the first round proper ten minutes later, as a defensive slip saw a forward latch onto a through-ball, before finishing low into the net.
The young Marketmen travel to Haverhill Borough in the Suffolk U18 Midweek Cup on Thursday (24th October, 7:45pm).
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