Daventry Town ran out worthy winners over North Greenford at a windy Berkeley Fields on Saturday to reach the third round of the FA Vase even though there was an element of luck about central defender Chris Godwin's 65th-minute winning-goal.
Godwin found the net for the first time this season when lurking on the far post to head home a Josh O'Grady free kick via his own shoulder as the Town turned up the tempo when playing uphill and into the teeth of the gale in the second-half.
The
Combined League leaders were gracious in defeat with players, officials and spectators all stating that Ady Fuller's men were the best side Greenford had faced so far this season.
Even so there must have been a few nagging doubts in the visitors' camp when the Town failed to score despite having the elements in their favour in a
first-half which saw top scorer Tom Berwick and Tom James both hit the Greenford crossbar
early on.
Greenford took 43 minutes to win their first corner and then faded badly after the interval when relying too heavily on long ball tactics despite the pitch standing up well to the early-morning deluges in west London.
Unfortunately the referee became over-officious in the second period of a cleanly-contested game when issuing seven yellow cards one of which will lead to Town full-back Martin Hutchcox facing a
one-match ban.
Five Greenford players saw their names enter the referee's notebook with Luke Kenny sent off in the dying seconds for a
second bookable offence as the Daventry visitors marched into the last 64
of the Vase.
Town manager Fuller said afterwards: "Greenford thought they had won the match at half-time.
"I was equally confident that they hadn't and we played some really good football up the hill and into the wind in the second-half. Quite honestly they
were flattered by a 1-0 scoreline."
Godwin's winner came in the middle of a crazy
18-minute spell in which the referee booked five players, among them Shaun Hillier whose rash challenge on man-of-the-match O'Grady led to the only goal.
Russell Dunkley again led the line superbly while Godwin and Jason Lee withstood an aerial bombardment while also snuffing out 18-goal Blues' striker Dave Lawrence as the Town kept a 16th cleansheet in 27 league
and cup games.
With StNeots winning
3-1 at Holbeach on Saturday the Town's lead
in the UCL Premier Division is now back down to a single point.
Deeping Rangers, Boston and Yaxley were also winners while Daventry United gained another score-draw against Blackstones in Stamford.
