Match Report

FC United’s remain bottom of the Vanarama National League North after suffering a 2-1 home defeat to Darlington in front of 1,978 fans at Broadhurst Park on Saturday afternoon.

For only the third time this season the Reds came into a game on the back of a victory, following the 2-0 Manchester Premier Cup win at Glossop on Tuesday. The early going was impressive with that early pressure resulting in an 11th minute goal from Theo Brierley from the edge of the box.

But the good early work was undone by another sequence of calamitous defending in the FC area. Just four minutes after taking the lead some poor defending allowed the ball to hit the head of Harvey Saunders and somehow loop over Jordan Perrin’s head to level things up.

FC had a great shout for a penalty turned down as Sam Tattum looked as though he was brought down in the box, but the referee show Tattum his first yellow card of the afternoon for what he deemed to be an unfair attempt to get the spot kick.

Level at the break but attacking the SMRE it was set up for another famous FC United second half. Sadly, just two minutes into the half Saunders took advantage of a rash decision to come out by Perrin and slotted home to give Darlington the advantage which they never surrendered.

Tattum was shown his second yellow on the hour mark for an over enthusiastic attempt at what looked to be a 50/50 challenge.

There was a second red card for FC with a strange one being shown to Lewis Mansell with five minutes remaining. Darlington goalkeeper Jonathon Maddison seemed to roll the ball into Mansell’s path before the FC forward looked to take advantage and slot home.

The referee saw a foul and a second yellow in that sequence of events and it meant FC finished the game with nine men and on the wrong end of the score line.

Website man of the match: Jack Bannister – Had a solid afternoon for the Reds.

Report by Craig Phillips