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Late winner in seven goal thriller for Reserves at Ashton Athletic

FC United Reserves threw away a three goal lead before snatching a late winner in a seven goal thriller at Ashton Athletic on Thursday night.

The Reds sprinted out of the blocks, taking a 3-0 lead after just 12 minutes. Whilst the crowd may have been waiting for more, the home side shook off their lethargy and with a Steven Scahill hat-trick worked level by the 70th minute, FC United left with all three points though after an 84th minute penalty was scored by Joe Fox.

The first goal came after four minutes, Chris Lynch crossed into the box and Matthew Walwyn headed goalward. Whether that would have been enough will forever be open to debate but a finishing touch was applied by Keenan Tuck. General consensus of opinion gives the credit to 15 year-old Tuck who recently joined from Preston.

Matthew Kay came close after eight minutes when Mike Norton set him up from a Scott Cheetham free kick but the second goal was not long in coming. Kay turned provider; a ball into Tuck saw the youngster burst into the box only to be fouled. In a further sign of his confidence and promise, he promptly took the penalty and sent Keane Stanley in the home goal the wrong way.

It was 3-0 after 12 minutes when Walwyn got on the score sheet. Lynch and Norton combined to put him beyond the Ashton defence and he lobbed the ball over Stanley and into the net. Sadly, that was his last on field contribution as he strained a hamstring in executing the lob. He was replaced by Lee Green, himself working his way back from injury.

At this point, the visitor’s pace dropped and after 21 minutes Ashton Athletic gave a hint of what was to come. Renee Broadhurst fired a free-kick into the box, a header producing a save from Nick Culkin and a follow up shot was wide. That was not the end of Tuck’s contribution to the game. Two minutes later, he played a sharp pass forward which with a neat deflection from Norton gave Kay another chance. Then he ran onto a ball played down the left wing and found himself clear to run in on goal. With a hat-trick beckoning he was unlucky to have two efforts blocked, the second going out for a corner.

Scott Cheetham fired in a free-kick from the edge of the box which just eluded everyone on 30 minutes, but that merely provided the cue for the home fight back. On 32 minutes, a cross from the left found Scahill around the penalty spot, free with time to fire home.

Lynch and Norton combined on 38 minutes with Ashton conceding a corner but it was Athletic who came close to ending the half with another goal. Kyle Ross was allowed time to shoot but Culkin dived to his left and turned the ball out for a corner in added time.

Buoyed by this the home side started the second half as brightly as FC had started the first. Barely a minute had passed when a rasping drive crashed against the FC crossbar and down but not over the line before being cleared. After 50 minutes Ashton pulled another goal back, a drive by Scahill from the corner of the penalty area was blocked by Culkin but somehow squirmed past him and into the net.

Kay was again off target and another Tuck chance was forced out for a corner but chances were fewer as both teams tired. Athletic had two dangerous free kicks around 65 minutes, the second brought a sharp save from Culkin, turning a goalbound header on to the bar before being headed out for a corner.

Scahill equalised on 70 minutes Ashton were gifted possession on the edge of the FC box. His spin and shot baffling the whole FC United defence and was unlucky not to score a fourth two minutes later. He lobbed the ball over Culkin but also over the bar.

That was enough to get FC to step up their game in search of a winner, Charlie Doyle and Kay had chances but the deciding goal came in the 84th minute. Norton, as so often collecting the ball with his back to goal, turned and ran forward. He was fouled as he made it to the edge of the box. There was some debate on the touch line as to whether contact was in the area or not but the referee had no doubt and awarded another penalty.

This time Fox stepped up and hit the ball low to the keeper’s left. Stanley got a hand to the ball but was unable to keep it out. Tuck had another shot saved as the clock ran down but that was the end of the scoring, FC United won 4-3 and now look north as a trek to Workington beckons next Thursday.

Ashton Athletic: 1. Keane Stanley 2. Reece Broadhurst 3. Adam Ahmed 4. Kyle Ross 5. Kenny Dixon 6. Michael Wood 7. Mike Rowlinson 8. Rivan Fisher 9. Ryan Small 10. Steven Scahill 11. Mark Kelly Substitutes: 12. Matt Rochford 14. Sam Bailey 15. Phil Curran 16. Dean Midgeley 17. Louis McGrath

FC United of Manchester: 1. Nick Culkin 2. Charlie Doyle 3. Scott Cheetham 4. Matthew Kay 5. Nathan Chorlton 6. Chris Lynch 7. Dean Hope 8. Joe Fox 9. Mike Norton 10. Matthew Walwyn 11. Keenan Tuck Substitutes: 12. Chris Hill (for 15, 67 mins) 15. Lee Green (for 10, 16 mins) 16. Rhodri Giggs 17. Jordan Rutter (for 9, 88 mins).


First Posted ~ 13:59 Fri 13 Feb 2015
News ID ~ 6015
Last Updated ~ 01:52 Tue 16 Feb 2021