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Match Report

26th June 2021

Friendly

Broadhurst Park, 310 Lightbowne Road, Moston, Manchester, M40 0FJ


FC United of Manchester

5 - 3

FC United Legends

 
Attendance: 832

FC United of Manchester 5

FC United Legends 3

Attendance: 832


FC United Legends

 

 


Eight goal thriller with our Legends reopens Broadhurst Park

FC United’s first team reopened Broadhurst Park after six months away due to Covid-19 with a highly enjoyable 5-3 victory over a Legends team of former players, managed by Karl Marginson.

Charlie Ennis, Regan Linney, Tre Pemberton and a triallist (name to be confirmed) got the goals for FC United while Rory Patterson, Michael Norton and Matthew Wolfenden were on target for the Legends.

It was the friendliest of friendlies on a gorgeous summer day with the first team giving the Legends a guard of honour as they entered the pitch before kick-off. However, the football was still competitive and a full-blooded challenge by first team coach David Chadwick on Finlay Sinclair-Smith led to the first goal. Ennis curled home the resulting free-kick from the edge of the box after eight minutes. 

Around 20 minutes later, Patterson, aka Mr Mystery and the Man with No Name, rolled back the years with a sublime finish from the corner of the penalty area. FC United's first cult hero raced through on goal but checked back to create some space before audaciously curling the ball into the top corner at the back post. The sort of goal the FC United faithful became accustomed to him scoring in the club's first three seasons.   

New signing Joe White then produced a good shot from range for the first team, which Dave Carnell acrobatically tipped over the bar. Five minutes before the break, a speculative low effort from the left by Linney gave Sam Ashton a moment he’d rather forget as the goalkeeper failed to get a proper hand to the ball, pushing it onto the post before it trickled over the line for 2-1. Two minutes later Linney hit the crossbar from edge of the box as the first team threatened to extend their lead.

The Reds did exactly that 10 minutes into the second half as Michael Donohue played a good ball into striker Dan Cockerline and he laid it off first time for the triallist, who’s name we hope to reveal in the coming days, to place a side-footed goal into the bottom left corner for 3-1.

Donohue was in the thick of the action again around the hour mark as he slipped in a fantastic ball to send the triallist through one-on-one with Ashton. The triallist shimmied around Ashton and slotted the ball home with ease to make it 4-1.

With 15 minutes to go Pemberton cut through the Legends back line and deftly slotted the ball beyond Ashton and into the far corner for 5-1. It was beginning to look a bit too comfortable for the first team. Manager Neil Reynolds had even come on to make his FC United debut. 

However, Marginson’s side showed the sort of fighting spirit that saw them stage countless comebacks during his 12 years at the club. Arguably the biggest cheer of the day came when goal machine Norton made it 5-2 from six yards out in front of the St Mary’s Road End. It was only Norton’s second ever goal at Broadhurst Park after an injury cut short his time at FC United.   

With 10 minutes to go, Wolfenden made it 5-3. A Jerome Wright ball from the left was headed down by Ben Deegan and Wolfenden guided the ball past Carnell, who played in goal for both teams on the day.

Moments later, it could have been 5-4 but Carnell pulled off a great save to prevent Patterson converting a penalty. That was the last action of a very enjoyable game where we got to thank the players, manager and coaching staff that helped get us to where we are today.

Report by Matthew Haley

 

 

FC UNITED of MANCHESTER LEGENDS

1) Dave CARNELL (GK)

2) Kyle JACOBS

3) Lee NEVILLE

4) Karl MUNROE

5) David CHADWICK (Captain)

6) Steve SPENCER

7) Carlos ROCA

8) Jake COTTRELL

9) Steve TORPEY

10) Jerome WRIGHT

11) Rory PATTERSON

SUBSTITUTES

12) Adam JONES (For No. 5 - Half-time)

13) Sam ASHTON (GK) (For No. 1 - 31 mins)

Unnumbered) Dave BROWN (For No. 5 - 78 mins)

15) Astley MULHOLLAND (For No. 3 - Half-time)

16) Matthew WOLFENDEN (For No. 7 - Half-time)

17) Mike NORTON (For No. 6 - Half-time)

18) Ben DEEGAN (For No. 9 - Half-time)

19) Richard BROWN (For No. 8 - 78 mins)

20) Darren LYONS (For No. 2 - 78 mins)

Unnumbered) Karl MARGINSON (Not used)

ROLLING SUBSTITUTE:-

5) David CHADWICK (Back on for No. 4 - 62 mins)

SCORERS:-

Rory PATTERSON (29 mins), Mike NORTON (77 mins), Matthew WOLFENDEN (81 mins).

Eight goal thriller with our Legends reopens Broadhurst Park

FC United’s first team reopened Broadhurst Park after six months away due to Covid-19 with a highly enjoyable 5-3 victory over a Legends team of former players, managed by Karl Marginson.

Charlie Ennis, Regan Linney, Tre Pemberton and a triallist (name to be confirmed) got the goals for FC United while Rory Patterson, Michael Norton and Matthew Wolfenden were on target for the Legends.

It was the friendliest of friendlies on a gorgeous summer day with the first team giving the Legends a guard of honour as they entered the pitch before kick-off. However, the football was still competitive and a full-blooded challenge by first team coach David Chadwick on Finlay Sinclair-Smith led to the first goal. Ennis curled home the resulting free-kick from the edge of the box after eight minutes. 

Around 20 minutes later, Patterson, aka Mr Mystery and the Man with No Name, rolled back the years with a sublime finish from the corner of the penalty area. FC United's first cult hero raced through on goal but checked back to create some space before audaciously curling the ball into the top corner at the back post. The sort of goal the FC United faithful became accustomed to him scoring in the club's first three seasons.   

New signing Joe White then produced a good shot from range for the first team, which Dave Carnell acrobatically tipped over the bar. Five minutes before the break, a speculative low effort from the left by Linney gave Sam Ashton a moment he’d rather forget as the goalkeeper failed to get a proper hand to the ball, pushing it onto the post before it trickled over the line for 2-1. Two minutes later Linney hit the crossbar from edge of the box as the first team threatened to extend their lead.

The Reds did exactly that 10 minutes into the second half as Michael Donohue played a good ball into striker Dan Cockerline and he laid it off first time for the triallist, who’s name we hope to reveal in the coming days, to place a side-footed goal into the bottom left corner for 3-1.

Donohue was in the thick of the action again around the hour mark as he slipped in a fantastic ball to send the triallist through one-on-one with Ashton. The triallist shimmied around Ashton and slotted the ball home with ease to make it 4-1.

With 15 minutes to go Pemberton cut through the Legends back line and deftly slotted the ball beyond Ashton and into the far corner for 5-1. It was beginning to look a bit too comfortable for the first team. Manager Neil Reynolds had even come on to make his FC United debut. 

However, Marginson’s side showed the sort of fighting spirit that saw them stage countless comebacks during his 12 years at the club. Arguably the biggest cheer of the day came when goal machine Norton made it 5-2 from six yards out in front of the St Mary’s Road End. It was only Norton’s second ever goal at Broadhurst Park after an injury cut short his time at FC United.   

With 10 minutes to go, Wolfenden made it 5-3. A Jerome Wright ball from the left was headed down by Ben Deegan and Wolfenden guided the ball past Carnell, who played in goal for both teams on the day.

Moments later, it could have been 5-4 but Carnell pulled off a great save to prevent Patterson converting a penalty. That was the last action of a very enjoyable game where we got to thank the players, manager and coaching staff that helped get us to where we are today.

Report by Matthew Haley

 

 

FC UNITED of MANCHESTER LEGENDS

1) Dave CARNELL (GK)

2) Kyle JACOBS

3) Lee NEVILLE

4) Karl MUNROE

5) David CHADWICK (Captain)

6) Steve SPENCER

7) Carlos ROCA

8) Jake COTTRELL

9) Steve TORPEY

10) Jerome WRIGHT

11) Rory PATTERSON

SUBSTITUTES

12) Adam JONES (For No. 5 - Half-time)

13) Sam ASHTON (GK) (For No. 1 - 31 mins)

Unnumbered) Dave BROWN (For No. 5 - 78 mins)

15) Astley MULHOLLAND (For No. 3 - Half-time)

16) Matthew WOLFENDEN (For No. 7 - Half-time)

17) Mike NORTON (For No. 6 - Half-time)

18) Ben DEEGAN (For No. 9 - Half-time)

19) Richard BROWN (For No. 8 - 78 mins)

20) Darren LYONS (For No. 2 - 78 mins)

Unnumbered) Karl MARGINSON (Not used)

ROLLING SUBSTITUTE:-

5) David CHADWICK (Back on for No. 4 - 62 mins)

SCORERS:-

Rory PATTERSON (29 mins), Mike NORTON (77 mins), Matthew WOLFENDEN (81 mins).