FC United triumph at Trafford in five goal thriller - full report

Tom Greaves fired home an injury time winner as FC United recorded our second victory of the Bank Holiday weekend with a spirited 3-2 fight-back at Trafford on Monday afternoon.

Astley Mulholland gave the Reds a half-time lead but The North hit back with two goals inside the opening 10 minutes of the second half to turn the game on its head. However, the Reds stuck to their task and Matthew Walwyn struck the equaliser on 77 minutes and Greaves grabbed the winner three minutes into injury time.

Both sides started the game quietly as if to try to suss each other out and it was the home side who had the first chance with Shelton Payne firing over. As the half wore on neither side managed to dominate but it was Payne again who again came close with a run and side footed shot that hit the bar, the ball being cleared by the FC defence.

It took till just after the half hour for FC to get their first clear glimpse of goal when an Ollie Banks corner was whipped in but sadly Charlie Raglan couldn’t connect with his header. Two minutes later, FC took the lead when a superb Matthew Wolfenden ball split the Trafford defence and found Mulholland who finished well past Tom Read. Payne had another chance for the home side when he fired a free kick goal wards, James Spencer tipping the ball past the post.

It took just three minutes of the second half for Trafford to pull level, the ball was lost in the FC and found Payne who ran in on goal and fired past Spencer. And things were soon to get worse. On 54 minutes, the home side took the lead when they won a 50/50 in the FC half. Payne found himself in the FC box again and he managed to work the ball to Michael Oates who fired home via a FC United defender.

With 20 minutes to go, the lead was almost extended when a deep cross found a Trafford head, Spencer pulling off a great save, the rebound being kicked off the line by Raglan. This seemed to spur FC on and they drew level just seven minutes later when a ball into the box found substitute Walwyn who fired into the far corner for his third goal in two games.

Neither side seemed happy with the point and the FC United crossbar was rattled for a second time thanks to an overhead-kick from Ali Nsangou. On 83 minutes, Greaves saw a shot well saved by Read and on 90 minutes these two clashed again when a Greaves header was tipped onto the bar by the custodian.

Just as it seemed that the spoils would be shared, the Reds attacked one more time. In the third minute of injury time, Karl Marginson’s side sealed the three points when Greaves finally beat Read with a shot from the edge of the box.

It was a great way to end the Bank Holiday weekend for FC United and credit to both sides for producing such an entertaining game of football in particularly warm weather.

Report by Steven Wood

Website Man of the Match - Andy Pearson. His first start in a red shirt and looked calm and composed at right back and also when he moved over to centre back.