FC United lose at Ilkeston as Gabidon limps off
FC United fell to a 2-0 defeat at Ilkeston Town on Saturday afternoon – and the disappointing day was compounded by talismanic winger Dontai Gabidon limping off with a hamstring injury.
Two second-half goals from The Robins’ Tom Curson and Connor Dixon were enough to ensure that the home side took all three points from a tightly contested battle in the Derbyshire. The loss sees FC United slip to 16th in the league, and opens up a 10 point gap between The Reds and the play off places.
The opening exchanges of the game were fairly even between the teams, with either side probing tentatively at the other without meaningfully testing the opposing keeper.
The first turning point in the game happened in the 25th minute when Gabidon limped off the field with a suspected hamstring injury. In response Reds’ boss Neil Reynolds sent on midfielder Luke Griffiths to replace him, with Michael Donohue shifting to the right side of play and ‘Griff’ slotting into central midfield.
As the game wore on, lkeston seized the initiative, building real momentum and piling pressure on the United defence. One swift counter-attack in particular sent an early warning to the away side, with a tantalising cross from L’Varn Brandy glancing just wide of the goal by forward Tom Curson.
The home side continued to threaten in search of an opener, with efforts from Luke Cox and Jamie Walker testing the reflexes of FC's number one Pat Boyes before the break.
In response, FC United rallied in search of a goal. Captain Charlie Ennis unleashed a rising effort that forced an impressive save from Ilkeston goalkeeper James Perch, as it seemed certain to hit the top left corner of the net.
In the dying moments of the half, Ennis attempted an audacious chipped shot from distance, leaving the home keeper backpedalling desperately to deny the United midfielder.
The second half saw Ilkeston come straight out of the blocks, playing very much on the front foot, and keen to assert their dominance. This culminated in the game’s opening goal in the 60th minute when debutant striker Curson found the back of the net from a sweeping cross, sending the home crowd into raptures.
The momentum continued for The Robins as they doubled their lead just 12 minutes later through Connor Dixon, whose clinical finish underscored FC United's defensive shortcomings in the game.
One positive for The Red side came with the introduction of Academy prospect Bob Jammeh for his first team debut. The young forward injected a spark of creativity down the right wing, showing a glimmer of hope amid the disappointment of the afternoon’s defeat.
Jammeh was involved in a late surge of more promising play from FC United's forward line, but sadly the away side failed to breach Ilkeston's resilient defence, with the game petering out to a disappointing defeat.
As the final whistle blew, thoughts inevitably turned to the upcoming clash away to old foes Bradford Park Avenue next Saturday, 13th January. The disappointment of the Ilkeston defeat will undoubtedly serve as motivation for a spirited response in next weekend’s game.
Website man of the match: Charlie Ennis. A fine, rounded performance from the United captain, who has been enjoying an excellent run of form over the past few games.
Report by Sam Turner
FC United lose at Ilkeston as Gabidon limps off
FC United fell to a 2-0 defeat at Ilkeston Town on Saturday afternoon – and the disappointing day was compounded by talismanic winger Dontai Gabidon limping off with a hamstring injury.
Two second-half goals from The Robins’ Tom Curson and Connor Dixon were enough to ensure that the home side took all three points from a tightly contested battle in the Derbyshire. The loss sees FC United slip to 16th in the league, and opens up a 10 point gap between The Reds and the play off places.
The opening exchanges of the game were fairly even between the teams, with either side probing tentatively at the other without meaningfully testing the opposing keeper.
The first turning point in the game happened in the 25th minute when Gabidon limped off the field with a suspected hamstring injury. In response Reds’ boss Neil Reynolds sent on midfielder Luke Griffiths to replace him, with Michael Donohue shifting to the right side of play and ‘Griff’ slotting into central midfield.
As the game wore on, lkeston seized the initiative, building real momentum and piling pressure on the United defence. One swift counter-attack in particular sent an early warning to the away side, with a tantalising cross from L’Varn Brandy glancing just wide of the goal by forward Tom Curson.
The home side continued to threaten in search of an opener, with efforts from Luke Cox and Jamie Walker testing the reflexes of FC's number one Pat Boyes before the break.
In response, FC United rallied in search of a goal. Captain Charlie Ennis unleashed a rising effort that forced an impressive save from Ilkeston goalkeeper James Perch, as it seemed certain to hit the top left corner of the net.
In the dying moments of the half, Ennis attempted an audacious chipped shot from distance, leaving the home keeper backpedalling desperately to deny the United midfielder.
The second half saw Ilkeston come straight out of the blocks, playing very much on the front foot, and keen to assert their dominance. This culminated in the game’s opening goal in the 60th minute when debutant striker Curson found the back of the net from a sweeping cross, sending the home crowd into raptures.
The momentum continued for The Robins as they doubled their lead just 12 minutes later through Connor Dixon, whose clinical finish underscored FC United's defensive shortcomings in the game.
One positive for The Red side came with the introduction of Academy prospect Bob Jammeh for his first team debut. The young forward injected a spark of creativity down the right wing, showing a glimmer of hope amid the disappointment of the afternoon’s defeat.
Jammeh was involved in a late surge of more promising play from FC United's forward line, but sadly the away side failed to breach Ilkeston's resilient defence, with the game petering out to a disappointing defeat.
As the final whistle blew, thoughts inevitably turned to the upcoming clash away to old foes Bradford Park Avenue next Saturday, 13th January. The disappointment of the Ilkeston defeat will undoubtedly serve as motivation for a spirited response in next weekend’s game.
Website man of the match: Charlie Ennis. A fine, rounded performance from the United captain, who has been enjoying an excellent run of form over the past few games.
Report by Sam Turner
