Match Report
FC United slipped to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Rushall Olympic on Saturday afternoon after conceding a soft goal in the first 10 minutes.
The Reds rattled the bar and had a goal disallowed for off-side as they tried to find a way back into the game but unfortunately for the vast majority of supporters at Dales Lane, the Pics successfully battled away to cling on to the three points.
The result was all the more frustrating for United because the host’s winning goal came out of the blue when goalkeeper James Spencer had a moment to forget. With the spring sun clearly distracting the usually superb shot stopper, Alex Melbourne stole in on a bad touch by Spencer from a back pass and slotted home for a simple but decisive goal with barely 10 minutes on the clock.
Due to Rushall’s style of defensive play and track record of being low scoring specialists – the lowest scorers in the top of half of the Evo-Stik Premier Division by a 15 goal margin – a tough away trip was made even more difficult by FC United’s own doing.
Michael Norton, Jake Cottrell, Matthew Wolfenden and Adam Jones all worked goalkeeper Chris Gemmell in the first half without majorly testing him and it was in fact Spencer who had to produce the best save of the opening 45 minutes when Luke Bottomer hit a peach of a volley from the edge of the box on 20 minutes. The United number one reacted well to smother the ball in midair, going someway to making amends for his earlier error.
United’s best chances came in quick succession in the second half. Just after the hour mark, Gemmell tipped a close range Wolfenden effort onto the bar and with the keeper desperately trying to grab hold of the rebound, Norton used his body to shield the ball before rounding Gemmell and firing it in. Unfortunately, United’s joy was short lived as the linesman raised his flag to indicate that the strike wasn’t going to be Norton’s 21st goal of the season.
And Norton was to be left disappointed again three minutes later. Jones was regularly roaming forward for the Reds and it was the centre-back who provided a cross from the right which the striker connected with, firing in a cracking low, hard shot to the bottom left corner. For a split-second, it looked like United were finally going to be back on level terms but then Gemmell appeared, making an absolutely fantastic reflex save and substitute Astley Mulholland blazed the rebound high over the bar when he should have done better.
United’s task should have got a little bit easier with 15 minutes remaining when Martyn Naylor got sent off for needlessly studding Norton down his shin in an overly aggressive attempt to play the ball. As there hadn’t been a single booking up until that point, it was fairly surprising that the referee, Mr Husband decided go straight for the red card. However, the challenge was reckless and Husband felt it needed the strongest possible punishment.
With an extra man advantage and Gemmell being called into the action on a regular basis, things were looking promising for yet another United late show. However, it wasn’t to be as the Reds lost their composure and far too often fell into the trap of responding to Olympic’s backs against the wall hoofing tactics by playing long balls of their own, rather than getting the ball on the deck and trying to carve the hosts open.
Website man of the match: Rushall goalkeeper Chris Gemmell was the star performer of the day but United’s pick of the bunch was Dean Stott. On a day when the Reds needed to battle against constant long balls, Stott was on hand to protect the back-four and win virtually everything in the air, putting in the sort of performance which confirms why the management moved him out of defence and into midfield.
Report by Matthew Haley
Match Report
FC United slipped to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Rushall Olympic on Saturday afternoon after conceding a soft goal in the first 10 minutes.
The Reds rattled the bar and had a goal disallowed for off-side as they tried to find a way back into the game but unfortunately for the vast majority of supporters at Dales Lane, the Pics successfully battled away to cling on to the three points.
The result was all the more frustrating for United because the host’s winning goal came out of the blue when goalkeeper James Spencer had a moment to forget. With the spring sun clearly distracting the usually superb shot stopper, Alex Melbourne stole in on a bad touch by Spencer from a back pass and slotted home for a simple but decisive goal with barely 10 minutes on the clock.
Due to Rushall’s style of defensive play and track record of being low scoring specialists – the lowest scorers in the top of half of the Evo-Stik Premier Division by a 15 goal margin – a tough away trip was made even more difficult by FC United’s own doing.
Michael Norton, Jake Cottrell, Matthew Wolfenden and Adam Jones all worked goalkeeper Chris Gemmell in the first half without majorly testing him and it was in fact Spencer who had to produce the best save of the opening 45 minutes when Luke Bottomer hit a peach of a volley from the edge of the box on 20 minutes. The United number one reacted well to smother the ball in midair, going someway to making amends for his earlier error.
United’s best chances came in quick succession in the second half. Just after the hour mark, Gemmell tipped a close range Wolfenden effort onto the bar and with the keeper desperately trying to grab hold of the rebound, Norton used his body to shield the ball before rounding Gemmell and firing it in. Unfortunately, United’s joy was short lived as the linesman raised his flag to indicate that the strike wasn’t going to be Norton’s 21st goal of the season.
And Norton was to be left disappointed again three minutes later. Jones was regularly roaming forward for the Reds and it was the centre-back who provided a cross from the right which the striker connected with, firing in a cracking low, hard shot to the bottom left corner. For a split-second, it looked like United were finally going to be back on level terms but then Gemmell appeared, making an absolutely fantastic reflex save and substitute Astley Mulholland blazed the rebound high over the bar when he should have done better.
United’s task should have got a little bit easier with 15 minutes remaining when Martyn Naylor got sent off for needlessly studding Norton down his shin in an overly aggressive attempt to play the ball. As there hadn’t been a single booking up until that point, it was fairly surprising that the referee, Mr Husband decided go straight for the red card. However, the challenge was reckless and Husband felt it needed the strongest possible punishment.
With an extra man advantage and Gemmell being called into the action on a regular basis, things were looking promising for yet another United late show. However, it wasn’t to be as the Reds lost their composure and far too often fell into the trap of responding to Olympic’s backs against the wall hoofing tactics by playing long balls of their own, rather than getting the ball on the deck and trying to carve the hosts open.
Website man of the match: Rushall goalkeeper Chris Gemmell was the star performer of the day but United’s pick of the bunch was Dean Stott. On a day when the Reds needed to battle against constant long balls, Stott was on hand to protect the back-four and win virtually everything in the air, putting in the sort of performance which confirms why the management moved him out of defence and into midfield.
Report by Matthew Haley
