3.00pm Saturday 1st February 2020

BetVictor Northern Premier

FC United of Manchester 3 Homson-Smith 42

Owolabi 55

Sinclair-Smith 79 Mickleover Sports 3 Webb 37, 70

Beavon 50



Attendance: 1,747

FC United drop down to fourth after six goal thriller at Broadhurst Park with Mickleover

FC dropped to fourth but remain six points behind league leader South Shields, after a thrilling 3-3 draw at home to Mickleover Sports on Saturday afternoon.



The Reds had to come from behind three times on the day, but in a game where they were the more pressing of the two teams and even saw a stoppage time effort; that would have sealed the win, just sneak agonisingly wide, Neil Reynolds’ side will feel this may have been a case of two points dropped.



Going forward FC looked positive and confident and had seen two efforts from Charlie Ennis both hit the inside of the post before being cleared off the line by the visiting defence.



The visitors looked dangerous on the counter all afternoon and it was no surprise that they opened the scoring on a counter, as a ball from the back saw the FC United defence freeze; seemingly waiting for the assistant’s flag to be raised, but Patrick Webb kept his cool as he ran through one on one and fired home.



The Reds did level things up just five minutes later. Regan Linney fired a vicious shot towards goal which the ‘keeper managed to push out but only into the path of Morgan Homson-Smith, and the forward; on loan from Southport, marked an impressive debut with a goal.



In the second half the Reds kept pressing for a second, but the visitors looked dangerous on the counter and once again showed they were clinical in front of goal when a ball from the right was slotted away by Stuart Beavon.



Once again it took just over five minutes for the Reds to equalise. This time Tunde got the honours when he picked the ball up just outside the box, driving forward and shifting the ball onto his right he opened up just enough room to fire away a shot, and fire away he did, as he hit an unsavable effort that smashed into the back of the net.



The goal was Tunde’s 28th of the season (in just 33 appearances) and he now needs just one more to move into the top ten goal scorers in the club’s history.



Just seconds later, Tunde was booked for simulation, with the referee seemingly of the belief that the league’s top scorer, fresh off scoring an amazing goal, would sooner go down of his own accord to try and win a penalty, rather than take on another chance from a great angle in the box.



The visitors once again punished FC United on the counter attack, this time Patrick Webb grabbed his second of the game, making it 3-2 to the visitors with just over 20 minutes remaining.



FC United came forward again and once more drew level in the 80th minute. Adam Dodd went on a mazy run beating several visiting defenders on the way through, before laying the ball off to Finlay Sinclair-Smith, who put the ball away and once again put the momentum of the game back in FC United’s favour.



The drama wasn’t finished there though. Deep into stoppage time the ball broke for substitute Kyle Hawley, who fired low towards goal and saw his effort sneak just wide of the right hand post. An effort so close that it must have taken a layer of paint off the post on its way past.



With Lancaster winning at home to Warrington, the Reds dropped down to fourth in the league but FC have played three less games. With the news of Basford losing at a resurgent Gainsborough Trinity and leaders South Shields being held to a draw at Stalybridge Celtic it felt as though the Reds had missed an opportunity to gain some ground on the leaders.



Next up for FC is a home game against Irlam, in the semi-finals of the Frank Hannah Manchester Premier Cup, before a real six pointer next Saturday as we visit second placed Basford.



Website man of the match – Michael Potts. The FC captain had what’s quickly becoming known as a “Potts Game”. Relentless work ethic, coupled with strong tackles in the middle of the park. Leading by example and firing the team up, he was an integral part to every attack during the game.



Report by Craig Phillips

