Match Report
FC United slipped to a narrow 3-2 defeat against Ashton United on Wednesday night in their penultimate game of the season in front of 1,624 supporters.
Phil Marsh got the Reds off to a good start by opening the scoring on 20 minutes but the Robins hit back with two first half goals and then one right after the break to leave FC United floundering.
Ben Deegan set up a tense finale by closing the gap to 3-2 on 73 minutes but the Reds had left themselves too much to do.
The result sees United now without a win in eight games and having lost their last four games. The end of season form is not what the United faithful would have expected from their team; having had faint hopes of catching a play-off place after a great start to 2010 but for one reason or another things haven’t gone United’s way after the good run.
United had good control of the game without ever really taking over and for all their possession they failed to get an effort at goal in the opening stages. Indeed, the first time United got a chance they took the lead as Marsh headed home a Jerome Wright free-kick on 20 minutes.
But as has been the case so often this season, United let their opponents back into the game. This time it was a strange refereeing decision which gave the visitors a ‘soft’ penalty after a phantom challenge in the United area. Iain Howard stepped up and converted the chance to get Ashton level before the half hour mark.
Having almost had all of the game that goal seemed to take the wind out of United’s sails; as has happened many times this season, and some sloppy defending meant that Liam Dawson stepped through the United defence and fired home a low hard shot to give Ashton the lead at the break.
The half wasn’t all doom and gloom as United looked good in possession and dangerous from both flanks through Wright and Chris Ovington making runs down either side.
As the second half began, United wanted an early goal but it was Ashton who got one. Craig Robinson headed home unmarked with less than a minute on the clock after the restart to give the visiting team a two goal cushion.
United in turn brought on Carlos Roca, Mark Ayres and Joseph Yoffe but none of them managed to make an impact and again it was back to the frustrating game of good ball play but little in the final third.
With just under 20 minutes to go, the Reds got the break they needed. A hopeful long ball into the box was latched onto by Deegan, who put the ball away against his old club to bring the score back to 3-2.
Unfortunately, a grandstand finish wasn’t to be this time, as United failed to make anything in the last 15 minutes that you could really describe as a chance. In reflection, a 3-2 defeat was a fair result.
So another defeat for United, who must now brush themselves off and try to get a moral boosting win to end the season in front of what should be a big crowd for Matlock on Saturday afternoon.
Report by Craig Phillips.
Match Report
FC United slipped to a narrow 3-2 defeat against Ashton United on Wednesday night in their penultimate game of the season in front of 1,624 supporters.
Phil Marsh got the Reds off to a good start by opening the scoring on 20 minutes but the Robins hit back with two first half goals and then one right after the break to leave FC United floundering.
Ben Deegan set up a tense finale by closing the gap to 3-2 on 73 minutes but the Reds had left themselves too much to do.
The result sees United now without a win in eight games and having lost their last four games. The end of season form is not what the United faithful would have expected from their team; having had faint hopes of catching a play-off place after a great start to 2010 but for one reason or another things haven’t gone United’s way after the good run.
United had good control of the game without ever really taking over and for all their possession they failed to get an effort at goal in the opening stages. Indeed, the first time United got a chance they took the lead as Marsh headed home a Jerome Wright free-kick on 20 minutes.
But as has been the case so often this season, United let their opponents back into the game. This time it was a strange refereeing decision which gave the visitors a ‘soft’ penalty after a phantom challenge in the United area. Iain Howard stepped up and converted the chance to get Ashton level before the half hour mark.
Having almost had all of the game that goal seemed to take the wind out of United’s sails; as has happened many times this season, and some sloppy defending meant that Liam Dawson stepped through the United defence and fired home a low hard shot to give Ashton the lead at the break.
The half wasn’t all doom and gloom as United looked good in possession and dangerous from both flanks through Wright and Chris Ovington making runs down either side.
As the second half began, United wanted an early goal but it was Ashton who got one. Craig Robinson headed home unmarked with less than a minute on the clock after the restart to give the visiting team a two goal cushion.
United in turn brought on Carlos Roca, Mark Ayres and Joseph Yoffe but none of them managed to make an impact and again it was back to the frustrating game of good ball play but little in the final third.
With just under 20 minutes to go, the Reds got the break they needed. A hopeful long ball into the box was latched onto by Deegan, who put the ball away against his old club to bring the score back to 3-2.
Unfortunately, a grandstand finish wasn’t to be this time, as United failed to make anything in the last 15 minutes that you could really describe as a chance. In reflection, a 3-2 defeat was a fair result.
So another defeat for United, who must now brush themselves off and try to get a moral boosting win to end the season in front of what should be a big crowd for Matlock on Saturday afternoon.
Report by Craig Phillips.
