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FC United remain three points clear of relegation after Fylde defeat

FC United remain three points clear of the relegation zone with nine games to go after slipping to a 2-1 home defeat against title chasing AFC Fylde on Saturday afternoon.

The visitors scored a goal in both halves to take control of the match before Harry Winter pulled one back to set up a frenetic finish. The Reds went close but they couldn’t find the vital goal that would have given them another priceless point as they bid to stay in the Vanarama National League North.

The irony was that this was actually one of the better performances of the season and despite only going down by one goal against the team second in the league there was a sense of disappointment that we couldn’t get anything more from the game.

Right from the off, the Reds looked more a more rigid unit with the added experience of debutant Dale Tonge in defence. United never looked like being outplayed by the Coasters, in actual fact it was the men in red who looked more dangerous with George Thomson only being denied the opening goal by the crossbar.

Against the run of play, it was the promotion chasers who took the lead as a ball from the right was met by the head of Tom Hannigan and it somehow looped over Dave Carnell and into the net.

Despite going in a goal down, the Reds didn’t let their heads drop and looked to find a way back into a game where they had been slightly the better team. With FC United attacking a wall of noise at the St Mary’s Road End in the second half, there was always a chance that we could find a way back into the game.

Three minutes into the second half, that task was made twice as hard after Danny Rowe produced a moment of magic with a sublime strike from outside the box which flew into the back of the net to make it 2-0.

It would have been easy for heads to drop after conceding so early in the second half but the players kept going. With less than 20 minutes left, they got the breakthrough when Winter headed in a ball from the left from a tight angle to set up a frantic finish.

The game plan was not abandoned looking for an equaliser and it continued in the same vein with United holding their own without leaving themselves vulnerable at the back. With the close nature of the game leaving the visitors a little nervous and using quite a few timewasting tactics to try and edge over the finishing line.

In added time, Tom Eckersley must have thought he had levelled the game as Thomson’s floated ball from the right flank was headed towards the top corner with force, only to be denied by a great one handed save from Ben Hinchcliffe in the visiting goal.

Despite coming away with nothing from the game the positives were there to see, with a solid team performance only being undone by a great strike and a wonderful save at the death. But make no mistake the next nine games are big, big games starting with two away trips this week, firstly to table-toppers Solihull Moors before taking on Alfreton Town next Saturday.


Website man of the match: George Thomson – Good performances all round, but the creativity of Thomson was clear to see.

Report by Craig Phillips



First Posted ~ 18:21 Sat 12 Mar 2016
News ID ~ 6708
Last Updated ~ 00:47 Tue 16 Feb 2021