Match Report
Having welcomed the FCUM Radio team to the Lancaster Club for their penultimate home game, the youth sought to put on a show and with the help of a good quality Altrincham side; featuring the County FA’s hat trick hero Adam Bezzina, didn’t disappoint. Goals from Yousif Yousif, Frank van Gils and Daniel Maynard gave the reds a victory that was, until the closing stages, anything but.
FC United, as ever were quick out of the blocks and had a good chance after just three minutes, a Maynard free kick was headed goal ward by Yousif but deflected for a corner. Altrincham however, had other ideas and pressed hard themselves, threatening with two successive corners in the thirteenth minute. The rest of the first half and indeed much of the game was founded on the battle for control of midfield, a battle which honours were probably shared, Maynard and van Gils being constant thorns with their pace and ability to twist and turn. Jon Poizer came closest midway through the half as a header from a Jack Burgess cross looped over the bar.
The home side took the lead after forty minutes when a neat exchange between Poizer and van Gils put Yousif in on goal, his shot drifting across Stephen Bullen in the Altrincham goal and in by the far post.
The most significant aspect of the first fifteen minutes of the second half were the FC United substitutes as Mike Taylor, Derek Ubah and Liam Ellis replaced Lewis Adams, George Shaw and Jon Poizer, a period in which Altrincham pressed hard but did little to threaten Ryan Barker and the back four. The game burst into life in the 70th minute as first Altrincham had their best chance, with Ubah heading off the line and a rebound shot hitting the bar. Then FC went straight down the other end and hit the bar themselves with a rasping drive by Maynard from the edge of the box.
Altrincham then had most of the possession and were deserving an equaliser, but were harshly treated in the last ten minutes as Yousif had a golden chance to double the score but got the ball caught under his feet and hit a tame shot which was cleared off the line.
FC then showed ruthless efficiency by clinching the game with two goals in the last five minutes. First van Gils found himself with space in the box to shoot, but a mishit shot only served to create more space and he made no mistake second time. Maynard made it three after running on to a Taylor pass and slotting home. The home fans would probably claim that FC deserved the win but the final score was perhaps not a fair reflection on the visitors contribution to the evening.
FC United of Manchester:
1.Ryan Barker
2. Jack Burgess
3. Lewis Adams
4. George Shaw
5. Charlie Doyle
6. Kial Callacher
7. Daniel Maynard
8. Josh Smethurst
9. Yousif Yousif
10. Frank van Gils
11. Jon Poizer
Substitutes:
12. Mike Taylor (For 3, 51 mins)
14. Liam Ellis (For 11, 62 mins)
15. Derek Ubah (For 4, 57 mins)
GK. Josh Broadbent
Altrincham: Stephen Bullen, Callum Harkin, Jamie Farrington, Matt Graetzer, Jamie McLellan, Oliver Riley, Louis Potts, Spencer Cunliffe, Adam Bezzina, Derryn Ofori, Michael King. Substitutes: Rory McGoldrick and Joe Hankinson.
Match Report
Having welcomed the FCUM Radio team to the Lancaster Club for their penultimate home game, the youth sought to put on a show and with the help of a good quality Altrincham side; featuring the County FA’s hat trick hero Adam Bezzina, didn’t disappoint. Goals from Yousif Yousif, Frank van Gils and Daniel Maynard gave the reds a victory that was, until the closing stages, anything but.
FC United, as ever were quick out of the blocks and had a good chance after just three minutes, a Maynard free kick was headed goal ward by Yousif but deflected for a corner. Altrincham however, had other ideas and pressed hard themselves, threatening with two successive corners in the thirteenth minute. The rest of the first half and indeed much of the game was founded on the battle for control of midfield, a battle which honours were probably shared, Maynard and van Gils being constant thorns with their pace and ability to twist and turn. Jon Poizer came closest midway through the half as a header from a Jack Burgess cross looped over the bar.
The home side took the lead after forty minutes when a neat exchange between Poizer and van Gils put Yousif in on goal, his shot drifting across Stephen Bullen in the Altrincham goal and in by the far post.
The most significant aspect of the first fifteen minutes of the second half were the FC United substitutes as Mike Taylor, Derek Ubah and Liam Ellis replaced Lewis Adams, George Shaw and Jon Poizer, a period in which Altrincham pressed hard but did little to threaten Ryan Barker and the back four. The game burst into life in the 70th minute as first Altrincham had their best chance, with Ubah heading off the line and a rebound shot hitting the bar. Then FC went straight down the other end and hit the bar themselves with a rasping drive by Maynard from the edge of the box.
Altrincham then had most of the possession and were deserving an equaliser, but were harshly treated in the last ten minutes as Yousif had a golden chance to double the score but got the ball caught under his feet and hit a tame shot which was cleared off the line.
FC then showed ruthless efficiency by clinching the game with two goals in the last five minutes. First van Gils found himself with space in the box to shoot, but a mishit shot only served to create more space and he made no mistake second time. Maynard made it three after running on to a Taylor pass and slotting home. The home fans would probably claim that FC deserved the win but the final score was perhaps not a fair reflection on the visitors contribution to the evening.
FC United of Manchester:
1.Ryan Barker
2. Jack Burgess
3. Lewis Adams
4. George Shaw
5. Charlie Doyle
6. Kial Callacher
7. Daniel Maynard
8. Josh Smethurst
9. Yousif Yousif
10. Frank van Gils
11. Jon Poizer
Substitutes:
12. Mike Taylor (For 3, 51 mins)
14. Liam Ellis (For 11, 62 mins)
15. Derek Ubah (For 4, 57 mins)
GK. Josh Broadbent
Altrincham: Stephen Bullen, Callum Harkin, Jamie Farrington, Matt Graetzer, Jamie McLellan, Oliver Riley, Louis Potts, Spencer Cunliffe, Adam Bezzina, Derryn Ofori, Michael King. Substitutes: Rory McGoldrick and Joe Hankinson.
