FC United lose out in home opener against Spennymoor Town
FC United lost the opening home game of the season, going down 3-2 to newly-promoted Spennymoor Town at Broadhurst Park on Tuesday evening.
After a 2-1 defeat at Brackley Town on Saturday afternoon, the Reds were looking to get some points on the board but it didn’t happen. The Moors came into the game on the back of a 1-0 victory over Stockport County on Saturday and began the game like a team playing with the confidence of such a result behind them.
Despite this strong start there was a touch of good fortune for the visitors for their opening goal, which came when a Kallum Griffiths free kick took a deflection off the two man wall, which left Lloyd Allinson no chance of getting anywhere near the ball.
When the visitors came forward they looked sharp and dangerous and the new look FC United defence didn’t seem to have an answer to them. Andrew Johnson made it 2-0 for the visitors just before the half hour mark, but it looked like it could have easily been a bigger margin at this point.
With less than 10 minutes left of the first half the Reds found a way back into things as Joel Logan’s ball from the right was headed back across goal by Connor McCarthy before being powered home by Jason Gilchrist.
With the momentum behind them, FC United began the second half brightly and it was no surprise when they equalised early in the second period. McCarthy’s low, long range effort was pushed away by The Moors goalkeeper, but in came Danny Wisdom on the left, cutting back inside onto his right foot and slotting the ball away to make the scores level once more.
At 2-2 and with the wind in their sails FC came forward and saw a string of chances go close, looking particularly strong at set pieces. So, when Glen Taylor headed home from a corner for the visitors it really was a sucker punch.
But still FC kept going and in doing so made for an edge of your seat finish to the game. A long-range Nathan Lowe effort went just over the bar, but the visitors looked dangerous on the counter attack.
Tom Greaves went agonisingly close in stoppage time to grab an equaliser but it wasn’t to be and despite a great showing for two thirds of the game, perhaps the first half hour which saw the Reds go two down (and it could have easily been more) was just too great an obstacle to overcome.
Having said that there was an optimism coming away from the ground by the way we had played and gone close ourselves throughout the second half. It’s no exaggeration to say we’ve played games where we haven’t performed as well and managed to come away with a victory.
Spennymoor are now one of just four teams in the league to win both their opening fixtures, whilst FC United now look forward to Saturday when we host Kidderminster who like ourselves have yet to register a point from their first two league games.
Man of the Match: Connor McCarthy – Showed fantastic drive and work ethic, never stopped all night long and grew in confidence as the game went on.
Report by Craig Phillips
After a 2-1 defeat at Brackley Town on Saturday afternoon, the Reds were looking to get some points on the board but it didn’t happen. The Moors came into the game on the back of a 1-0 victory over Stockport County on Saturday and began the game like a team playing with the confidence of such a result behind them.
Despite this strong start there was a touch of good fortune for the visitors for their opening goal, which came when a Kallum Griffiths free kick took a deflection off the two man wall, which left Lloyd Allinson no chance of getting anywhere near the ball.
When the visitors came forward they looked sharp and dangerous and the new look FC United defence didn’t seem to have an answer to them. Andrew Johnson made it 2-0 for the visitors just before the half hour mark, but it looked like it could have easily been a bigger margin at this point.
With less than 10 minutes left of the first half the Reds found a way back into things as Joel Logan’s ball from the right was headed back across goal by Connor McCarthy before being powered home by Jason Gilchrist.
With the momentum behind them, FC United began the second half brightly and it was no surprise when they equalised early in the second period. McCarthy’s low, long range effort was pushed away by The Moors goalkeeper, but in came Danny Wisdom on the left, cutting back inside onto his right foot and slotting the ball away to make the scores level once more.
At 2-2 and with the wind in their sails FC came forward and saw a string of chances go close, looking particularly strong at set pieces. So, when Glen Taylor headed home from a corner for the visitors it really was a sucker punch.
But still FC kept going and in doing so made for an edge of your seat finish to the game. A long-range Nathan Lowe effort went just over the bar, but the visitors looked dangerous on the counter attack.
Tom Greaves went agonisingly close in stoppage time to grab an equaliser but it wasn’t to be and despite a great showing for two thirds of the game, perhaps the first half hour which saw the Reds go two down (and it could have easily been more) was just too great an obstacle to overcome.
Having said that there was an optimism coming away from the ground by the way we had played and gone close ourselves throughout the second half. It’s no exaggeration to say we’ve played games where we haven’t performed as well and managed to come away with a victory.
Spennymoor are now one of just four teams in the league to win both their opening fixtures, whilst FC United now look forward to Saturday when we host Kidderminster who like ourselves have yet to register a point from their first two league games.
Man of the Match: Connor McCarthy – Showed fantastic drive and work ethic, never stopped all night long and grew in confidence as the game went on.
Report by Craig Phillips
First Posted ~ 17:51 Wed 9 Aug 2017
News ID ~ 7538
Last Updated ~ 00:47 Tue 16 Feb 2021