FC United enjoy comfortable win over Gainsborough Trinity

Second half goals from Jordan Buckley and Jan Palinkas gave FC United a well-deserved and much needed 2-0 victory over Gainsborough Trinity in front of 1,628 fans at Broadhurst Park on Saturday afternoon. Ben Hazelden reports…

Expert performances from Dan Lafferty and Jordan Buckley helped FC United of Manchester put on a superb second half display to recover from back-to-back 3-0 defeats and move up to 15th in the Pitching In Northern Premier Division.

Following some impressive appearances as a substitute, academy player Bob Jammeh made his first start for the first team and Manchester City loanee goalkeeper George Murray-Jones made his debut.

Wanting to put a midweek defeat to Marine behind them, the Reds started the better of the two sides creating early chances for Trevon Bryan. 

The forward impressed off the bench on Tuesday and he could’ve given his side an early lead when he was played through by Buckley in the 12th minute, but Gainsborough goalkeeper Dylan Wharton did well to narrow the angle and make the save. 

The Holy Blues, coming off a 19-day period without a game in the league, worked their way into the game and eventually created the best chance by far of a quiet first half. 

An interception from Dayle Southwell lead to a three versus two situation, with the ball being played to the left of the area finding Lewis Butroid, who cut the ball back to Southwell for a seemingly easy finish into a half open net. But centre-back Lafferty did superbly well to block the shot. 

FC United had failed to stamp any real authority on the game despite the positive start but they came out in the second half a completely different side.

Just three minutes after the restart captain Charlie Ennis was played though and he cut the ball back to number 9, Jordan Buckley, who was denied by a superb Dylan Wharton stop to keep the game level.

Buckley didn’t have to wait long for his goal though as in the 58th minute he broke the deadlock. Lafferty floated a superb long-range pass over the Gainsborough defence to Buckley who took the ball down and finished with confidence to give his side the lead and claim his third goal of the season. 

The first goal had given the Reds some much needed confidence and it allowed them to play with real freedom for the remainder of the game. In the 62nd minute Aaron Bennett, who had come off the bench, almost doubled the lead when he was played through on the edge of the box, but he scuffed his first-time effort wide of the post.

Two minutes later, there was another opportunity to double the lead as Buckley swivelled in the box and took a snapshot that flew just over the Gainsborough bar. 

It took a combination of the FC United centre-backs to seal the game. In the 78th minute a long free-kick once again had the Trinity defence flat-footed allowing Lafferty to guide a header into the path of Palinkas whose touch was enough to take it past Wharton for 2-0. 

That capped a double assist for Lafferty, who was having a superb individual performance. There were a couple of late chances for the home side the further their lead.

Substitute, Lewis Gilboy, was played through on goal and he turned the defender inside out but was denied by a brilliant double save from Wharton at point blank range.

And Buckley had the chance to double his goal tally when a searching cross from Bennett found his outstretched leg in the area, but Buckley could only divert it wide.

It was a comprehensive victory from FC United against a side not far away from them in the table. They will look to build on the performance when they play Radcliffe at home on Tuesday.