Atherton Collieries
1 Gavin Bates
2 James Parkinson
3 David Rhodes
4 Jermaine Peters
5 Dave McCann
6 Andy Walker (Capt.)
7 Andy Harvie
8 Stuart Cliffe
9 Craig Hobson
10 Neil Davies
11 Seydou Bamba
Subs.
12 Nick Dyson (for 8, 64 mins )
14 Andy Barker (for 10, 70 mins)
15 Chris Smalley (for 2, 86 mins)
FC United of Manchester
1 Sam Ashton
2 Liam Foster
3 Shaun Roscoe
4 Steven Spencer
5 David Chadwick (capt)
6 Robert Nugent
7 David Swarbrick
8 Nick Platt
9 Stuart Rudd
10 Jerome Wright
11 Rory Patterson
Subs.
12 Rhodri Giggs (for 11, 79 mins)
14 Joshua Howard (for 8, 70 mins)
15 Dave Brown (for 9, 88 mins)
Reds' revenge over Cols
FC United cruised past Atherton Collieries 3-0 at Leigh RMI’s Hilton Park home starting 2007 with a maximum three points courtesy of two goals from Dave Swarbrick and the third from Stuart Rudd.
The result avenged the defeat in the reverse fixture back in November at Gigg Lane and Atherton clearly missed their ex-striker Anthony Pilkington, now of Stockport County, whose hat-trick was so instrumental in that 3-0 victory over the Reds.
New signing Jerome Wright made his FC United debut after completing his three match suspension, the former Maine Road winger settled well into the team and looked very dangerous down the left flank.
United started the game the brighter and it was Wright who came closest to opening the scoring for the Reds after 15 minutes. The debutant cut into the box from the left and found himself one-on-one with Gavin Bates in the Atherton goal but his shot never had the venom to beat Bates who made a comfortable save.
The one way traffic from United continued throughout the half and it was Margy’s men who again came close to breaking the deadlock. This time it was Nicky Platt who was denied when his header was cleared off the line from a Swarbrick corner.
With the amount of pressure being exerted on the Atherton defence it was only a matter of time before the Reds took the lead and it eventually came 38 minutes into the game. Swarbrick picked the ball up from the halfway line and carried it forward. The Reds midfielder just kept on running unchallenged and rifled it in from just outside the Atherton 18-yard box.
Just like Manchester buses, you wait so long for one, then two come along at once. Swarbrick got his second just before the interval, this time firing home from 20-yards, with his shot hitting the inside of the bar before dropping into the back of the net.
With the second goal coming, at this point the Reds were well and truly home and dry as Atherton just hung on in the second half without testing Sam Ashton with any notable chances.
The men from Manchester capped off the win 12 minutes from time. Rory Patterson’s cross from the left found Rudd in the box and the North West Counties top scorer was never going to miss from six yards out.
Overall, the Reds were not made to sweat too hard but all in all another three points in the bag and now Margy’s men move on and prepare for the big game against Curzon next Saturday at Gigg Lane.
John Hill
Reds' revenge over Cols
FC United cruised past Atherton Collieries 3-0 at Leigh RMI’s Hilton Park home starting 2007 with a maximum three points courtesy of two goals from Dave Swarbrick and the third from Stuart Rudd.
The result avenged the defeat in the reverse fixture back in November at Gigg Lane and Atherton clearly missed their ex-striker Anthony Pilkington, now of Stockport County, whose hat-trick was so instrumental in that 3-0 victory over the Reds.
New signing Jerome Wright made his FC United debut after completing his three match suspension, the former Maine Road winger settled well into the team and looked very dangerous down the left flank.
United started the game the brighter and it was Wright who came closest to opening the scoring for the Reds after 15 minutes. The debutant cut into the box from the left and found himself one-on-one with Gavin Bates in the Atherton goal but his shot never had the venom to beat Bates who made a comfortable save.
The one way traffic from United continued throughout the half and it was Margy’s men who again came close to breaking the deadlock. This time it was Nicky Platt who was denied when his header was cleared off the line from a Swarbrick corner.
With the amount of pressure being exerted on the Atherton defence it was only a matter of time before the Reds took the lead and it eventually came 38 minutes into the game. Swarbrick picked the ball up from the halfway line and carried it forward. The Reds midfielder just kept on running unchallenged and rifled it in from just outside the Atherton 18-yard box.
Just like Manchester buses, you wait so long for one, then two come along at once. Swarbrick got his second just before the interval, this time firing home from 20-yards, with his shot hitting the inside of the bar before dropping into the back of the net.
With the second goal coming, at this point the Reds were well and truly home and dry as Atherton just hung on in the second half without testing Sam Ashton with any notable chances.
The men from Manchester capped off the win 12 minutes from time. Rory Patterson’s cross from the left found Rudd in the box and the North West Counties top scorer was never going to miss from six yards out.
Overall, the Reds were not made to sweat too hard but all in all another three points in the bag and now Margy’s men move on and prepare for the big game against Curzon next Saturday at Gigg Lane.
John Hill
