United fail to overturn first half deficit as Hornets leave Moston with the points
FC United of Manchester suffered their first home defeat since October as two first half goals were enough for Hebburn Town to come away winners at Broadhurst Park.
First half goals by Matthew Elsdon and Liam Noble direct from a corner put Hebburn on the front foot at the break in what was a lacklustre opening 45 minutes from the home side.
FC recovered after the restart as Dylan Mottley-Hottley set up a tense finish with his second goal in as many games, however the Hornets withstood a late barrage of attacks to claim their first victory since New Year’s Day.
It was the visitors who enjoyed the better of the opening period, with a compact defensive unit preventing FC from getting out of their own half through the first 10 minutes. Hebburn’s top scorer, Amar Purewal forced Conor O’Keefe into an excellent save with the first effort of the game, hitting a powerful strike on the spin which required a reaction stop from the FC ‘keeper to tip it over.
The Reds’ best passage in the first half came just prior to the 20 minute mark via Mottley-Henry, who raced inside the Hebburn fullback to square across the box for Adam Le Fondre, however the veteran forward could not get a shot away under the challenge of several Hebburn bodies.
The first half saw a 10 minute break in play when a clash of heads between Michaels Turner and Donohue meant the former required treatment on the pitch. Both players were able to continue after receiving bandages.
Hebburn reaped a just reward for their first half dominance when Elsdon stabbed the ball home at the back post to give the Hornets the lead in the 41st minute. Noble’s corner delivery was glanced on by Jack Donaghy, allowing Elsdon the chance to poke the ball home in front of the St. Mary’s Road End.
An unravelling defensive display from FC was punctuated by a second Hebburn goal two minutes into injury time at the end of the first half. Having already failed to deal with one corner for the opening goal, it was Noble who continued to scourge the hosts, curling a right-footed corner delivery all the way into the hosts net through a cluster of bodies inside the six yard box.
HT: FC United of Manchester 0-2 Hebburn Town
Hebburn’s stubborn defensive regiment remained impenetrable through the hour mark, forcing FC into only half chances as Mark Beesley’s side looked to claw themselves back into the game.
Growing on the ball as the half progressed, the hosts looked to the wide areas for their source of attacking threat, and it was Mottley-Henry who came up with the important goal to half the deficit with just under 20 minutes of normal time remaining.
Great work by Mottley-Henry to win a free kick on the right flank allowed Charlie Munro the chance to deliver into the box, with Munro’s cross picking out the on-loan Chester forward whose header evaded Kieran Hunter in the visiting goal and set up an enticing finish.
Munro had another opportunity to threaten the Hornets goal in the 80th minute after Jay Fitzmartin did well to win a free-kick in a central position five yards outside the box. Opting to shoot, Munro’s effort landed just over the crossbar.
With two minutes of injury time remaining, an intervention by linesman Anthony Ross led to a red card being shown to Hebburn’s Turner following an altercation with Mottley-Henry just outside the box. From the following free-kick it was Le Fondre who took the shot on, calling Hunter into action with a save at his top right corner.
The final push for an equaliser saw O'Keefe sent forward into the box, and the FC 'keeper almost sent Broadhurst Park into bedlam when he connected acrobatically with a lofted ball into the box, however the effort did not trouble Hunter in the Hebburn goal.
Despite FC pouring players forward in the final seconds, Daniel Moore’s resilient away side held on to claim their first win over FC United, and consolidate their position in the top half of the Northern Premier League table.
Report by Finn Honeywood.
United fail to overturn first half deficit as Hornets leave Moston with the points
FC United of Manchester suffered their first home defeat since October as two first half goals were enough for Hebburn Town to come away winners at Broadhurst Park.
First half goals by Matthew Elsdon and Liam Noble direct from a corner put Hebburn on the front foot at the break in what was a lacklustre opening 45 minutes from the home side.
FC recovered after the restart as Dylan Mottley-Hottley set up a tense finish with his second goal in as many games, however the Hornets withstood a late barrage of attacks to claim their first victory since New Year’s Day.
It was the visitors who enjoyed the better of the opening period, with a compact defensive unit preventing FC from getting out of their own half through the first 10 minutes. Hebburn’s top scorer, Amar Purewal forced Conor O’Keefe into an excellent save with the first effort of the game, hitting a powerful strike on the spin which required a reaction stop from the FC ‘keeper to tip it over.
The Reds’ best passage in the first half came just prior to the 20 minute mark via Mottley-Henry, who raced inside the Hebburn fullback to square across the box for Adam Le Fondre, however the veteran forward could not get a shot away under the challenge of several Hebburn bodies.
The first half saw a 10 minute break in play when a clash of heads between Michaels Turner and Donohue meant the former required treatment on the pitch. Both players were able to continue after receiving bandages.
Hebburn reaped a just reward for their first half dominance when Elsdon stabbed the ball home at the back post to give the Hornets the lead in the 41st minute. Noble’s corner delivery was glanced on by Jack Donaghy, allowing Elsdon the chance to poke the ball home in front of the St. Mary’s Road End.
An unravelling defensive display from FC was punctuated by a second Hebburn goal two minutes into injury time at the end of the first half. Having already failed to deal with one corner for the opening goal, it was Noble who continued to scourge the hosts, curling a right-footed corner delivery all the way into the hosts net through a cluster of bodies inside the six yard box.
HT: FC United of Manchester 0-2 Hebburn Town
Hebburn’s stubborn defensive regiment remained impenetrable through the hour mark, forcing FC into only half chances as Mark Beesley’s side looked to claw themselves back into the game.
Growing on the ball as the half progressed, the hosts looked to the wide areas for their source of attacking threat, and it was Mottley-Henry who came up with the important goal to half the deficit with just under 20 minutes of normal time remaining.
Great work by Mottley-Henry to win a free kick on the right flank allowed Charlie Munro the chance to deliver into the box, with Munro’s cross picking out the on-loan Chester forward whose header evaded Kieran Hunter in the visiting goal and set up an enticing finish.
Munro had another opportunity to threaten the Hornets goal in the 80th minute after Jay Fitzmartin did well to win a free-kick in a central position five yards outside the box. Opting to shoot, Munro’s effort landed just over the crossbar.
With two minutes of injury time remaining, an intervention by linesman Anthony Ross led to a red card being shown to Hebburn’s Turner following an altercation with Mottley-Henry just outside the box. From the following free-kick it was Le Fondre who took the shot on, calling Hunter into action with a save at his top right corner.
The final push for an equaliser saw O'Keefe sent forward into the box, and the FC 'keeper almost sent Broadhurst Park into bedlam when he connected acrobatically with a lofted ball into the box, however the effort did not trouble Hunter in the Hebburn goal.
Despite FC pouring players forward in the final seconds, Daniel Moore’s resilient away side held on to claim their first win over FC United, and consolidate their position in the top half of the Northern Premier League table.
Report by Finn Honeywood.
