Match Report

3.00pm Saturday 13th April 2019

Vanarama National League North

Broadhurst Park, 310 Lightbowne Rd, Moston, Manchester, M40 0FJ

FC United of Manchester 0 - 1 Kidderminster Harriers Ironside 33 (pen)



Attendance: 1,760

FC United of Manchester 0 Kidderminster Harriers 1 Ironside 33 (pen)



Attendance: 1,760

FC United of Manchester

1 Andrew Fisher

2 Chris Lynch

3 Stephen O'Halloran

4 Zehn Mohammed

5 Jan Palinkas

6 Mike Potts (capt)

7 Jack Banister

8 Jack Grimshaw

9 Kurt Willoughby

10 Louis Myers

11 Mark West



Subs.

12 Michael Donohue (for 11, 46 mins)

16 Will Ozono (for 6, 76 mins)

17 Momodou Salou McDowell-Jallow (for 5, 46 mins)





Kidderminster Harriers

18 Thomas Palmer

2 Samuel Austin

3 Joel Taylor

4 Harry Flowers

5 Fraser Horsfall

6 Ryan Johnson (capt)

7 Liam McAlinden

8 Kacy Milan Butterfield

9 Joe Ironside

10 Ashley Chambers

11 Edward Williams



Subs.

14 Kwame Thomas (for 9, 82 mins)

15 Kane Richards (for 10, 82 mins)





Relegation looms after Kidderminster defeat FC United moved a step closer to relegation after suffering a 1-0 defeat at home to Kidderminster ‪on Saturday afternoon‬.



A first half penalty from Joe Ironside saw the Reds fall to their third successive defeat and leave a gap of seven points to safety with just three games remaining.



Despite a never say die attitude from a crowd of 1,760 it was a bit of a flat performance from the players on the pitch and clear chances were few and far between during the afternoon. Even the most optimistic among us would struggle to convince ourselves that we could pull off such an escape now and this filtered through in another flat performance.



However, there were positives to be taken from the game. With youngster Jan Palinkas looking like a bright spark for the future and despite his challenge giving away the game-deciding penalty, the experience should only bode well for the youngster with an eye on next season.



Ironside’s penalty was driven home and left FC ‘keeper Andy Fisher little or no chance of stopping it, and in reality the goal on the half hour mark was the biggest moment of a flat game.



FC looked better on the ball and certainly looked more organised as a defensive unit, but when the ball got into the final third there was a lack of ideas and creativity, and they found an organised Kidderminster defence difficult to break down.



Michael Donohue and Momodou McDowell-Jowell were introduce at the start of the second half and introduced something different with their work ethic and in particular their dribbling. However, the mood of the whole game was summed up early in the second half when Kurt Willoughby unleashed a shot from outside the box that cleared the St Mary’s Road End Terrace with the ball disappearing out of the ground.



The Reds did come pushing forward looking for an equaliser late in the game, but their efforts of balls in the box were always thwarted comfortably by the Kidderminster defence.



The visitors should have wrapped the match up five minutes from the end, with Zehn Mohammed denying them a second goal with a goal line clearance.



The result means FC now need a full nine points from their last three games and then hope Guisley don’t pick a win up in their last three fixtures. The Reds travel to Alfreton on Saturday hoping to pull off the greatest resurrection an Easter weekend has seen for more than 2,000 years.



Website man of the match: Chris Lynch – week after week the veteran defender has displayed a fighting spirit for the full 90 minutes. Something we have needed all season.



Report by Craig Phillips

