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Match Report

15th December 2012

EvoStik League Premier Division

Gigg Lane, Gigg Lane, Bury, BL9 9HR


FC United of Manchester

1 - 0

Grantham Town

Wolfenden 90 (+2)
 
Attendance: 1,653

FC United of Manchester 1

Wolfenden 90 (+2)

Grantham Town 0

Attendance: 1,653


FC United of Manchester

1 James Spencer
2 Kyle Jacobs (capt)
3 Lee Neville
4 Dave Birch
5 Adam Jones
6 Dean Stott
7 Carlos Roca
8 Jake Cottrell
9 Mike Norton
10 Matthew Wolfenden
11 Adam Dawson

Subs.
12 Matthew Tierney (for 4, 59 mins)
14 Greg Daniels (for 11, 69 mins)
16 Rhodri Giggs (for 7, 77 mins)

Grantham Town

1 James Lindley
2 Alistair Ashley
3 Damian Magee
4 Deon Meikle
5 Phil Watt
6 Martin Ball
7 Rhys Lewis
8 Alex Troke
9 Paul Grimes
10 Ben Saunders (capt)
11 Lee Potts

Subs:
12 Sam Saunders (for 8 73)
15 Jamie McGhee (for 7, 90+3 mins)
17 Karl Demidh (for 9, 73 mins)


Match Report
A last minute Matthew Wolfenden winner gave FC United all three points against Grantham at Gigg Lane on Saturday afternoon to keep the Reds in touch with the top end of the Evo-Stik Premier Division table.

It was a hard fought and deserved victory for United who had been denied twice by the woodwork with Michael Norton and substitute Rhodri Giggs hitting the post and the cross-bar respectively.

On a cold afternoon where the floodlights were on before kick-off (one corner didn’t make the full 90 minutes) the game took a little while to get going with much of the first half being a real scrappy affair with neither team taking advantage in the game.

It was the visitors who went closest on two occasions in the first half both times seeing the ball go just wide after beating United stopper James Spencer. The best of these chances fell to Rhys Lewis who found himself unmarked on the near post after a cross from the left, but saw his header creep agonisingly wide of Spencer’s post.

United’s build up play was good in the first half but, as has been the case in many games, United lacked the cutting edge in the final third and struggled to create anything in the way of a real goal scoring opportunity in the opening stanza.

As the second half began, it felt that United would have to push on and take the game by the scruff of the neck in but attacking the Manchester Road End - the FC United faithful always have the feeling that anything is possible.

The first ten minutes were just a case of more of the same as both teams once more struggled to gain the upper hand, but after this it was the home team who kicked on and looked the more likely to score.

A series of half chances and good build up play saw the players and fans begin to warm to the task and Norton must have thought he’d scored when he got a chance identical to that of Grantham’s Lewis in the first half. Although it was a couple of inches further across, Norton saw his effort come back off the post before being furiously cleared by the visiting defence.

Carlos Roca had the best chance to score as he met a ball from deep on the right unmarked. The United forward had used some great movement to get space at the far post but a controlled side footed volley from Roca beat Grantham ‘keeper James Lindley but somehow managed to go all the way across the goal mouth and just wide.

United nearly found themselves undone as the visitors broke well and saw and effort from the right hand side of the box beat Spencer, before being well cleared off the Unite line.

Other than this effort the majority of the second half was all about the men in Red but wave after wave of attack came to nothing with a Jake Cottrell thunderbolt from outside the box being tipped over by Lindley.

United needed an extra spark in the final third and Margy took this as a sign to introduce Rhodri Giggs for his first appearance in his second sell at the club. Giggs looked dangerous from the off and offered United another option in the final third, almost scoring with his first touch after winning a header at the far post which hit the bar and bounced back into lay and safety for the visiting defence.

Just when it seemed United would have to settle for the draw and with the full 90 minutes on the board, the Reds got the break their efforts had deserved. Norton, who tirelessly chased all afternoon, got onto a speculative ball in the 18 yard box and squared across goal for Matthew Wolfenden to place home and seal the a precious three points.

United will take great heart from getting such a late victory coupled with a marked improvement in the second half, and should take some momentum into what promises to be a busy festive period starting with an away trip to Matlock next Saturday.

Website man of the match: Mike Norton – led the line with his trademark style of continuous work and chased every ball down, eventually leading to the goal and more importantly the three points.

Report by Craig Phillips.
Match Report
A last minute Matthew Wolfenden winner gave FC United all three points against Grantham at Gigg Lane on Saturday afternoon to keep the Reds in touch with the top end of the Evo-Stik Premier Division table.

It was a hard fought and deserved victory for United who had been denied twice by the woodwork with Michael Norton and substitute Rhodri Giggs hitting the post and the cross-bar respectively.

On a cold afternoon where the floodlights were on before kick-off (one corner didn’t make the full 90 minutes) the game took a little while to get going with much of the first half being a real scrappy affair with neither team taking advantage in the game.

It was the visitors who went closest on two occasions in the first half both times seeing the ball go just wide after beating United stopper James Spencer. The best of these chances fell to Rhys Lewis who found himself unmarked on the near post after a cross from the left, but saw his header creep agonisingly wide of Spencer’s post.

United’s build up play was good in the first half but, as has been the case in many games, United lacked the cutting edge in the final third and struggled to create anything in the way of a real goal scoring opportunity in the opening stanza.

As the second half began, it felt that United would have to push on and take the game by the scruff of the neck in but attacking the Manchester Road End - the FC United faithful always have the feeling that anything is possible.

The first ten minutes were just a case of more of the same as both teams once more struggled to gain the upper hand, but after this it was the home team who kicked on and looked the more likely to score.

A series of half chances and good build up play saw the players and fans begin to warm to the task and Norton must have thought he’d scored when he got a chance identical to that of Grantham’s Lewis in the first half. Although it was a couple of inches further across, Norton saw his effort come back off the post before being furiously cleared by the visiting defence.

Carlos Roca had the best chance to score as he met a ball from deep on the right unmarked. The United forward had used some great movement to get space at the far post but a controlled side footed volley from Roca beat Grantham ‘keeper James Lindley but somehow managed to go all the way across the goal mouth and just wide.

United nearly found themselves undone as the visitors broke well and saw and effort from the right hand side of the box beat Spencer, before being well cleared off the Unite line.

Other than this effort the majority of the second half was all about the men in Red but wave after wave of attack came to nothing with a Jake Cottrell thunderbolt from outside the box being tipped over by Lindley.

United needed an extra spark in the final third and Margy took this as a sign to introduce Rhodri Giggs for his first appearance in his second sell at the club. Giggs looked dangerous from the off and offered United another option in the final third, almost scoring with his first touch after winning a header at the far post which hit the bar and bounced back into lay and safety for the visiting defence.

Just when it seemed United would have to settle for the draw and with the full 90 minutes on the board, the Reds got the break their efforts had deserved. Norton, who tirelessly chased all afternoon, got onto a speculative ball in the 18 yard box and squared across goal for Matthew Wolfenden to place home and seal the a precious three points.

United will take great heart from getting such a late victory coupled with a marked improvement in the second half, and should take some momentum into what promises to be a busy festive period starting with an away trip to Matlock next Saturday.

Website man of the match: Mike Norton – led the line with his trademark style of continuous work and chased every ball down, eventually leading to the goal and more importantly the three points.

Report by Craig Phillips.

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