Match Report

FC United moved up to fifth place in the Evo-Stik Premier Division with games in hand after coming back from 2-0 down to beat Marine 5-2 at the Tameside Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Reds slipped two goals behind in the first 26 minutes but Craig Lindfield and Dave Birch pulled level before the break. Callum Byrne put United ahead four minutes into the second half, with Shelton Payne scoring his first for the club and then Matthew Wolfenden comleting the rout in front of the biggest home crowd of the season of 2,180.

United began the game brightly looking particulary dangerous down the left with Payne and Jerome Wright causing problems for the visiting team with their pace an direct approach.

But the visitors took the lead after just four minutes as they broke quickly from the back, with three quick passes finding Tom Peers who fired past Dave Carnell to give his team the lead.

Things went from bad to worse for FC United as Peers doubled the away team’s lead after 26 minutes. Carnell could only parry a long range effort into Peers’ path for the easiest of tap-ins. At that stage, the Reds looked like they could possibly be going down to their first defeat in seven league games unless they pulled something dramatic out of the bag.

But the current league position and form has been built on a team ethic that refuses to give in and this was the foundation for a comeback. Lindfield neatly headed home a Liam Brownhill cross five minutes before the break to begin what would be a dramatic turnaround in the game.

Birch made sure the two teams went in level and firmly put the momentum back in FC’s favour as he fired home from outside the box as a Brownhill cross was poorly punched clear by Matthew Cooper in the Marine goal into Birch’s path. It was 2-2 at the break.

FC United turned up the pressure at the start of the second half and quickly had the lead as a Lindifeld cross from the right found Payne at the far post who coolly played the ball back across the box for Byrne to slot home and give United the lead.

A quickfire double then finished the game off. Payne grabbed his first goal for the club, capping off what was an impressive performance. Payne showed great composure as a quick free-kick from Byrne saw him one-on-one with Cooper. The former Trafford man took the ball around the Marine ’keeper before putting it away to grab what looks to be the first of many in and FC shirt.

Wolfenden then completed the rout just moments later. The forward got on the end of a lofted pass from Birch before floating the ball over the on rushing Cooper and into the back off the net to make it 5-2 and complete what was a remarkable comeback.

With the three points firmly in the bag and a big six pointer against promotion rivals and near neighbours Ashton United on Tuesday, United took their foot off the gas for the remainder of the game. With three of the six teams around them droping points, FC United now find themselves in a great position and more importantly at this time have their fate in their own hands with a busy run in towards the end of the season.

Man of the match: Shelton Payne - a great performance, which was rounded off with his first goal for the club just before the hour mark.

Report by Craig Phillips