Match Report

FC United came from 3-1 down with 15 minutes to go to draw 3-3 with fellow strugglers Guiseley at Broadhurst Park on Saturday afternoon.

Kurt Willoughby bagged a brace, including a penalty, and substitute Tom Peers netted a priceless equaliser with seven minutes remaining.

With third from bottom Ashton United also drawing, the result means there is no change at the bottom of the Vanarama National League North. FC United are still eight points from safety with just 11 games remaining.

The visitors took the lead twice and were pegged back twice in a match full of attacking football. Niall Heaton scored the visitors’ opener which was cancelled out by a Willougby free kick some 20 minutes later.

The lively Rowan Liburd and midfield terrier Will Hatfield put Guiseley 3-1 up before a Willoughby penalty and Peers 83rd minute equaliser completed the scoring.

FC started the match full of attacking intent and Willoughby fired off a shot inside two minutes when maybe a pass to Danny Morton would have been the better option.

This was followed by a corner to the home side but nothing came of it. Guiseley promptly moved the ball downfield and a fierce drive was tipped round the post by on loan keeper Andy Fisher. From the corner, a simple headed goal on the near post from an unmarked Heaton put Guiseley in front.

United didn’t fold under this setback but drove on determined to claw back the deficit. Just before the half hour mark Willoughby struck an unstoppable free-kick into the top corner to restore parity.

A robust Guiseley team moved the ball quickly and directly whenever they had the ball. Liburd was the beneficiary of such play, sent striding through on goal he slotted the ball out of Fisher’s reach into the bottom corner. FC finished the half strongly with a couple of corners but it was 2-1 to the visitors at the break.

The second half reached the hour mark with nothing much of note when United manager Neil Reynolds decided to roll the dice and made three substitutions simultaneously in a bid to turn his side’s fortunes around.

Guiseley had other ideas. Again an incisive attacking move allowed Hatfield through one-on-one with Fisher and he calmly found the net to stretch the visitor’s lead.

On drove United unperturbed by the third goal, Peers rattling the crossbar with a header after some good work by Jack Banister.

Another FC attack saw an early ball into the box and the referee pointed to the spot following a push by a Guiseley defender. Willoughby, FC captain for this match, powerfully dispatched the spot-kick to set up a grandstand finish.

The Reds did not let up in pursuit of the equaliser. Banister went close when a rasping left foot drive was palmed wide for a corner. FC then hit the crossbar in an effort that would have ultimately been ruled out for offside.

A long clearance was glanced on and Peers raced through on goal, rounded the keeper and slid home from an acute angle to make it 3-3. The majority of the 1,775 supporters in attendance went wild.

The board went up for four minutes of added time and the crowd roared for one last push. Willoughby had a half chance with a header and from another corner Chris Lynch headed back across goal but nobody could get on the end of it.

And so it finished three all. A good game played by two teams both intent on winning.

United travel to Southport next Saturday hoping to carry this momentum into the match in the search of much needed points in the fight against relegation.

Website man of the match: A sublime free-kick and a confidently struck penalty see Kurt Willoughby receive the award.

Report by Neil Lees