Match Report

FC United progress into the Third Round Qualifying of The Buildbase FA Trophy after a pulsating performance gave them a 3-1 victory over Basford United at Broadhurst Park on Saturday afternoon.

All four goals came in the first half as both sides threw caution to the wind in an open and entertaining game of football. Michael Donohue, Paul Ennis, and Tunde Owolabi were on the scoresheet for the Reds whilst Brad Gascoigne scored an equaliser for the visitors.

In what some described as the performance of the season, FC United were worthy winners but credit must go to Basford too. The visitors played their part in a fantastic and fairly contested game, which didn’t produce a single yellow card.

The Nottingham club nearly drew first blood in the opening five minutes but a superb sliding block by Luke Griffiths prevented Liam Hearn’s goalbound effort from going any further. Cameron Belford then made a great save to stop Basford from taking advantage of the loose ball.

Five minutes later, FC United’s captain Michael Potts rattled the underside of the bar at the Lightbowne Road End. It definitely felt like goals were coming. And indeed they did.

On 21 minutes, United broke the deadlock. Ennis played an inch-perfect quarterback-style ball from the left of midfield to Donhue on the right of the penalty area. Donhue’s looping header cleared goalkeeper Kieran Preston and landed nicely in the top corner for 1-0.

The lead was short-lived though, as Gascoigne headed home from a well worked corner on 26 minutes to make it 1-1. However, FC United responded in style.

The Reds were passing the ball around well when Regan Linney played in leftback Adam Dodd, who crossed low and hard into the box. The ball was deflected away but it fell kindly to Ennis and he smashed it home for 2-1.

Five minutes before halftime, FC United rattled the woodwork for a second time when Linney beat two defenders and jinked his way into the box. His solo effort deserved a goal but it would have been something really special, such was the difficulty of the angle.

One player was always going to get his name on the scoresheet and that was Tunde Owolabi. The league’s top scorer bagged his 13th of the season with another fantastic strike to finish off a great passage of possession football from the Reds that eventually saw Owolabi played in on the edge of the box by Donohue.

It was a hugely impressive first half of football and, although no more goals were scored, the second half was just as pleasing because FC United saw out the victory comfortably without any major drama.

The one and only scare came in the dying moments when Bassford hit the post from distance. United will discover their next round opponents when the draw is made on Monday.

Website man of the match: Paul Ennis. Pulled the strings throughout the day and brought the best out of his teammates. Scored one and created another.

Report by Matthew Haley