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Match Report

21st January 2012

EvoStik League Premier Division

The Scholars Ground, Church Street, Chasetown, Staffordshire, WS7 3QL


Chasetown

0 - 3

FC United of Manchester

  Norton 25
Stott 59 (pen)
Wolfenden 90
Attendance: 731

Chasetown 0

FC United of Manchester 3

Norton 25
Stott 59 (pen)
Wolfenden 90

Attendance: 731


Chasetown

1 R Price
2 J Farmer
3 M Branch
4 C Slater
5 J Turner
6 R Teesdale (capt)
7 M Hands
8 D Stride
9 D Smith
10 D Perrow
11 D Bridgwater

Subs:
14 G Birch (for 2, 56 mins)
15 G Downes (for 8, 56 mins)
17 C Hughes (for 10, 68 mins)

FC United of Manchester

1 James Spencer
2 Kyle Jacobs (capt)
3 Lee Neville
4 Jake Cottrell
5 Adam Jones
6 Greg Stones
7 Stephen Johnson
8 Matthew Wolfenden
9 Mike Norton
10 Dean Stott
11 Astley Mulholland

Subs.
12 Carlos Roca (for 11, 82 mins)
15 Nick Platt (for 2, 68 mins)
17 Matthew Tierney (for 7, 68 mins)


Match Report
FC United won 3-0 at Chasetown thanks to goals from Michael Norton, Dean Stott from the penalty spot and Matthew Wolfenden at the death.

James Spencer made a great save from a controversial penalty late on in the first half when the score was 1-0 and United took advantage of the let off to seal victory in the second half.

FC United began the game fairly brightly, keeping possession in spite of the slippery surface. Despite passing the ball around well, it was Chasetown’s Danny Smith who induced the first spark into the match, nicking the ball inside his own half and carrying it into the United area for David Bridgwater to knock it towards goal, providing Spencer’s first involvement as the keeper just managed to get his hands to it.

United looked to be getting the ball forward through all channels, with Astley Mulholland finding Jake Cottrell who waited too long for play to open up and Chris Slater was able to get back before the United midfielder could get a shot away.

Chasetown then looked to use the wind direction to their advantage. As the ball came in from the left, a pinball-like effect took place around the FC goalmouth as numerous shots could have easily been carried by the wind and beyond Spencer.

Kyle Jacobs picked up the ball on one of the fullback’s many roams into Chasetown’s half. An excellent cross was well placed to meet with Norton who’d made the run through to finish the move with a fine, decisive header between the post and keeper, Ryan Price on 26 minutes.

It looked as though United’s lead would be wiped out before the break as a hotly contested penalty was awarded to the home side when Smith fell to the ground in a crowded penalty area following a slight nudge in the back from Adam Jones. Such was the dispute of what appeared to be a very soft penalty; Jacobs earned himself a booking for dissent in the aftermath.

Dean Perrow stepped up to face Spencer in front of a packed stand of the travelling FC United faithful, who were sent into raptures when the FC number one pulled off a fantastic stop to save his second penalty in as many games.

Spencer continued to prove a secure and reassuring element in the FC side as the keeper rose to claim a potentially dangerous and wind assisted Chasetown free kick into a crowded six-yard box.

Good play came through Wolfenden, who despite being tripped just outside the area, managed to stay on his feet and continue to the dead ball line and play a low cross in which was unfortunately cut out at the near post.

In a good move for United in the second half, Dean Stott squared the ball to Wolfenden who turned well and shot, forcing a great save from Price. Jacobs was once again in the thick of the action just before the hour mark when Wolfenden was brought down in the area after being played in the United captain. In a reverse of the first half, United were awarded the second penalty of the game. Stott made the conversion look easy to score his second consecutive penalty.

With captain Jacobs on a yellow card, the FC management opted to bring on Nicky Platt in his place, and Johnson also made way for Matthew Tierney.

The windy conditions continued to play a part, and the defence had to be alert right up to full time to clear away any deceiving balls played in, Neville doing particularly well on more than one occasion to prevent Chasetown winning corners.

As the game wound down to the final whistle, United capped off the afternoon’s victory with a third goal. The ball came back out from the midfield to Norton and as the keeper left his net to try and claim, Wolfenden slipped in behind and slotted the ball into the far corner from a tight angle.

United’s performance may have not had all the finesse of an outstanding footballing display, however, a well-deserved victory on the road, in difficult conditions, gives the Reds three more points on the board and boosts the goal difference which could well prove important as several teams vie to finish in the play-off places.

Website man of the match: James Spencer – Not only saved another penalty at a critical time in the match but continually looked assured and commanding behind his defence.

Report by Victoria Fullen
Match Report
FC United won 3-0 at Chasetown thanks to goals from Michael Norton, Dean Stott from the penalty spot and Matthew Wolfenden at the death.

James Spencer made a great save from a controversial penalty late on in the first half when the score was 1-0 and United took advantage of the let off to seal victory in the second half.

FC United began the game fairly brightly, keeping possession in spite of the slippery surface. Despite passing the ball around well, it was Chasetown’s Danny Smith who induced the first spark into the match, nicking the ball inside his own half and carrying it into the United area for David Bridgwater to knock it towards goal, providing Spencer’s first involvement as the keeper just managed to get his hands to it.

United looked to be getting the ball forward through all channels, with Astley Mulholland finding Jake Cottrell who waited too long for play to open up and Chris Slater was able to get back before the United midfielder could get a shot away.

Chasetown then looked to use the wind direction to their advantage. As the ball came in from the left, a pinball-like effect took place around the FC goalmouth as numerous shots could have easily been carried by the wind and beyond Spencer.

Kyle Jacobs picked up the ball on one of the fullback’s many roams into Chasetown’s half. An excellent cross was well placed to meet with Norton who’d made the run through to finish the move with a fine, decisive header between the post and keeper, Ryan Price on 26 minutes.

It looked as though United’s lead would be wiped out before the break as a hotly contested penalty was awarded to the home side when Smith fell to the ground in a crowded penalty area following a slight nudge in the back from Adam Jones. Such was the dispute of what appeared to be a very soft penalty; Jacobs earned himself a booking for dissent in the aftermath.

Dean Perrow stepped up to face Spencer in front of a packed stand of the travelling FC United faithful, who were sent into raptures when the FC number one pulled off a fantastic stop to save his second penalty in as many games.

Spencer continued to prove a secure and reassuring element in the FC side as the keeper rose to claim a potentially dangerous and wind assisted Chasetown free kick into a crowded six-yard box.

Good play came through Wolfenden, who despite being tripped just outside the area, managed to stay on his feet and continue to the dead ball line and play a low cross in which was unfortunately cut out at the near post.

In a good move for United in the second half, Dean Stott squared the ball to Wolfenden who turned well and shot, forcing a great save from Price. Jacobs was once again in the thick of the action just before the hour mark when Wolfenden was brought down in the area after being played in the United captain. In a reverse of the first half, United were awarded the second penalty of the game. Stott made the conversion look easy to score his second consecutive penalty.

With captain Jacobs on a yellow card, the FC management opted to bring on Nicky Platt in his place, and Johnson also made way for Matthew Tierney.

The windy conditions continued to play a part, and the defence had to be alert right up to full time to clear away any deceiving balls played in, Neville doing particularly well on more than one occasion to prevent Chasetown winning corners.

As the game wound down to the final whistle, United capped off the afternoon’s victory with a third goal. The ball came back out from the midfield to Norton and as the keeper left his net to try and claim, Wolfenden slipped in behind and slotted the ball into the far corner from a tight angle.

United’s performance may have not had all the finesse of an outstanding footballing display, however, a well-deserved victory on the road, in difficult conditions, gives the Reds three more points on the board and boosts the goal difference which could well prove important as several teams vie to finish in the play-off places.

Website man of the match: James Spencer – Not only saved another penalty at a critical time in the match but continually looked assured and commanding behind his defence.

Report by Victoria Fullen

Previous Matches
20/08/2011 1-2L
16/04/2011 2-0L
16/02/2011 4-2W