| Sheffield 1 (0) - (0) 0 FC United of
Manchester
F.C. United of Manchester first-team slumped to their fourth
defeat of their pre-season campaign with a single goal defeat against
Northern Counties East Premier Division outfit Sheffield F.C. on Saturday.
Team Manager Karl Marginson won’t be too disappointed with that
statistic, but he will probably be somewhat more concerned that his team
were unable to convert one of their numerous half-chances into a decent
threat on goal during the ninety minutes.
For F.C. United, this was their first-ever game East of the Pennines,
and for the Sheffield F.C. team, who celebrate their 150th anniversary
next year, a return to the futuristic 25,000 capacity Don Valley Stadium
that they played at for a number of seasons in the 1990’s.
Billed as the oldest club in the world against one of the newest, the
two clubs, who will be playing their trade at Level 5 in the non-league
pyramid this season, looked to be fairly evenly matched during the opening
period.
F.C. United’s best effort of the first-half came on the quarter-hour
mark, when a curling free-kick from the slim-line Leon Mike from twenty
yards out struck the angle of the far goal-post and cross-bar only to
bounce out of play, and on 31 minutes, Sheffield FC’s No. 9 Gary
Townsend shot wide when it looked easier to score.
However, just when it looked as if the first-half would end goal-less,
the home side snatched a goal on the stroke of half-time. With the visiting
defence missing in action from an in-swinging James Tevendale corner,
this left Sheffield F.C. captain CRAIG MARSH (No. 5) completely unmarked
to head home past ‘keeper Sam Ashton at the far post.
There were no changes to either of the line-ups at half-time, but shortly
into the second-half, the two managers made the first of a number of substitutions
(ten in all); for F.C. United of Manchester, this included the introduction
of Ricardo Brondao and Ellesio Tavares, who had both impressed for the
Reserves at Mossley the previous week.
But despite the numerous changes, the visitors still looked somewhat off
the pace, and in the 72nd minute, Sheffield F.C. could have gone a second
goal up. Reds defender’s Liam Coyne’s clumsy challenge on
the home side’s No. 16 Rob Ward was adjudged by referee Dave Benton
to be a penalty, but when Ward eventually picked himself up, his spot-kick
was fired too close to substitute ‘keeper Barrie George who parried
the shot and the defence were able to scramble the loose ball away to
safety.
That let-off seemed to rally the F.C. United of Manchester team at long
last, and the visitors spent the final fifteen minutes of the game more
or less camped in the Sheffield F.C. half pressing for an equaliser.
No. 18 Ricardo Brondao, No. 14 Ellesio Tavares and No. 4 Liam Coyne all
wasted chances from reasonable positions, but arguably the best scoring
opportunity fell to Rory Patterson in the final minute, whose dipping
goal-bound effort was tipped over the bar by Sheffield ‘keeper Jamie
Holmshaw.
Final Score: Sheffield F.C. 1 F.C. United of Manchester 0
F.C. United of Manchester man of the match: Substitute ‘keeper Barrie
George for his penalty save.
Teams:-
Sheffield F.C. (Blue shirts / White Shorts / Blue Socks).
1) Jamie Holmshaw; 2) Pete Davey; 3) Jon Boulter; 4) Andy Brownrigg; 5)
Craig Marsh (Captain); 6) Miles Thorpe; 7) Darryl Winters; 8) Paul Smith;
9) Gary Townsend; 10) James Tevendale; 11) Darren Holmes
Substitutes: 12) Richard Carrington (6, 67 mins) 14) Chris Hilton (Not
used) 15) Chris White (9, 56 mins) 16) Rob Ward (11, 56 mins) 17) Pete
Smith (10, 65 mins) 18) Matt Roney (7, 61 mins) 19) Dean Sidebottom (8,
75 mins) 20) Darren Bonnington (G/K) (Not used)
F.C. United of Manchester (Red Shirts / Black Shorts
/ Black socks) 4-4-2 formation
1) Sam Ashton; 2). Mike Lomax; 3). Gareth Ormes; 4) Liam Coyne; 5) David
Chadwick (Capt) 6) Rhodri Giggs; 7) Will Ahern; 8) Steve Smith; 9) Leon
Mike; 10) Jonathan Mitten; 11) Adie Orr.
Substitutes:-
12) Ricardo Brondao (9, 48 mins) 13) Barrie George (G/K) (1, 54 mins)
14) Ellesio Tavares (10, 54 mins) 15) Rob Nugent (Not used) 16) Dave Brown
(Not used) 17) Alex Mortimer (Not used) 18) Rory Patterson (7, 54 mins)
19) Josh Howard (Not used) 20) Dave Swarbrick (Not used)
Attendance: 750
Referee: David Benton (South Yorkshire).
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