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Rampant Reds rattle Rammy - full report

Carlos Roca, Chris Ovington and Dylan Moloney got the goals as FC United steamed past Ramsbottom United 3-0 on Tuesday night in a pre-season friendly at the Riverside Ground.

Two goals in the last 20 minutes after a fine first-half strike from Roca gave the Reds a comfortable victory as they returned to the ground where they won promotion to the Northern Premier League back in April 2007.

As expected, manager Karl Marginson made a number of changes from the side that drew 0-0 at Stalybridge Celtic on Saturday with Zach Hibbert taking over in goal, Tunji Moses making his first start after returning to the club and James Holden was given the captain’s armband in a central-midfield role.

There was a slow start to the game but it was FC United who looked more threatening than their neighbours from the North West Counties Premier Division. Centre-back Scott McManus had the first chance of the game but put his header wide of the post and Holden saw a 25-yard effort well saved by the ’keeper.

The Reds broke the deadlock on 33 minutes when Ovington got down to the dead-ball line on the right wing and cut back inside to supply Roca who was on the edge of the six-yard box. Roca shielded the ball with his back to goal before turning swiftly and firing into the bottom left corner with his left foot.

Moments later, there was a scare for FC United at the other end as Rammy hit the post following a good effort from the edge of the box. With Hibbert lying prostrate, striker John Robinson had the simple task of tapping the ball home from five yards but he sliced his shot horribly wide.

Into the second-half and United began to take control of the match with the midfield trio of Holden, Roca and Ovington all putting in impressive peformances.

With 20 minutes to go, Ben Deegan raced away down the right before squaring the ball for Ovington who confidently rifled the ball into the bottom left corner from just inside the penalty area.

In the space of a few minutes there was goal-line action at each end. Jerome Wright whipped in a corner and Mark Ayres intelligently dropped to the edge of the box to send a looping header over the ’keeper only to see it blocked by the defender on the post. Seconds later, Andrew Sensale saw his goal-bound shot tipped around the post by Hibbert.

With seven minutes to go, Danny Brown played a diagonal pass out to the left for Wright who scampered down the wing before cutting inside and rolling the ball to substitute, and youth team product, Moloney to tap home the third.

With the result beyond any doubt, Deegan was unlucky not to add a fourth. Good link up play between Wright and Holden saw the latter float in a teasing cross which Deegan connected well with only to see the ’keeper get down well to tip the ball round the post.



First Posted ~ 15:49 Wed 4 Aug 2010
News ID ~ 3000
Last Updated ~ 01:52 Tue 16 Feb 2021