MATCH REPORT | DOVER ATHLETIC 2 CAMBRIDGE UNITED 4 (AET)
Medy Elito and Ben Williamson scored late extra time winners to put Cambridge United into the Second Round of the Emirates FA Cup with a hard fought victory over Dover Athletic in the replay at Crabble.
Goals from Mark Roberts and Leon Legge kept the U’s in the tie before Williamson and Elito both netted in the final three minutes to book a home tie with Coventry City in the next round.
The U’s lined up with one change to the side that started in the win over Crawley Town five days earlier, with Medy Elito replacing Max Clark in midfield.
Luke Berry lined up a free kick within ten minutes for the U’s after Brad Halliday was hauled over 20 yards out, but the midfielder was unable to replicate his goal against the Red Devils as he over hit the effort, clearing Walker’s cross bar.
Having scored the equalising goal in the first match between the sides to force a replay, Dover’s danger man Ricky Miller came close to opening the scoring when he side-footed a shot wide from ten yards from Ricky Modeste’s cross.
Twice Dover keeper denied the U’s an opener when he stopped Medy Elito in a one-on-one before scrambling to save Uche Ikpeazu’s flicked header soon after.
Berry battled hard to get on the end of Mingoia’s delivery from the left wing midway through the half, before striking the base of the post and seeing his effort cleared off the line by the Dover defence.
Elito spurned another opportunity when Mingoia fizzed the ball into the midfielder’s feet on 43 minutes, before the former Newport man saw the chance saved by the feet of Walker.
Meanwhile at the other end, Will Norris was called into action to stop Miller two minutes before the break and Lafayette struck the outside of the post moments later with a header.
Berry was denied once more when his header was cleared off the line on the hour mark, in the midst of an equally action-packed second period. Miller teased a half volley on target in the 63rd minute that Norris dealt with comfortably.
Despite a suspicion of handball in the build-up, Dover’s danger man Miller went through to slot the ball past Norris and give the hosts the lead on 72 minutes.
Brad Halliday cut inside his marker before flashing a shot the wrong side of the near post as the U’s pushed for a leveller. Moments later, Elito curled one onto the underside of the cross bar with Dover clearing the resulting loose ball.
United will have felt hard done by not to have scored an equaliser when Mark Roberts headed in from close range, only for the officials to pull play back for a dubious offside decision.
Greg Taylor’s header hit the post in the dying embers of normal time before the U’s finally equalised through Roberts in the 93rd minute when the centre back tapped in from close range.
Legge and Berry flashed headers wide of Walker’s goal from two sublime deliveries by Piero Mingoia during the opening 15 minutes of extra time.
However, it was Athletic that took the lead once more when the ball fell to Aswad Thomas on the half volley 20 yards from goal which the full back thundered past Norris in the 103rd minute.
Once again United bounced back but in the unlikeliest of ways when Mark Roberts ran down the right channel before cutting the ball across for Legge to finish from six yards out.
And the U’s finally finished the job in the 117th minute, Medy Elito firing home at the far post following Ikpeazu’s cross to secure the place in Round Two, before Ben Williamson also scored his first of the season to cap a fantastic win.
Dover Athletic: Walker, Magri, Thomas, Kinnear (Fazakerley, 90 mins), Orlu, Modeste, Stevenson, Miller (Pinnock 84 mins), Grimes, Sterling, Lafayette
Cambridge United: Norris, Halliday, Legge, Roberts, Taylor (Adams, 104 mins), Mingoia (Coulson, 119 mins), Dunne, Berry, Mingoia, Elito, Dunk (Williamson, 65 mins), Ikpeazu
Attendance: 1,558