FC United Of Manchester - The Soul Is One
Treble strike sends reds through
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By Paul Edmundson

Nantwich Town 0 - 3 FCUoM

1,240 looked on as FC wrapped up a convincing 3-0 win at Nantwich Town's Jackson Avenue ground - all the goals coming after the break after a gritty opening.
In this League Challenge Trophy tie, both sides tried to play a passing game, but blustery conditions made it a challenge and United were, at times, forced to hit it long.
Sam Ashton lined up in goal for the visitors, with Dave Brown replacing Rob Nugent at centre back.
He played alongside captain Dave Chadwick, with the ever-present pair of Alex Mortimer and Matty Taylor at full back.
Rhodri Giggs and Josh Howard took up the midfield alongside Steve Spencer, Nicky Platt and Simon Carden, with the in-form Stuart Rudd starting the game alone upfront.
But it was Nantwich - famed for their victory in last season's FA Vase - who made the better start to the game.
The Dabbers right winger James Marrow tested Ashton on 11 minutes, though the United stopper made a comfortable save.
Encouraged by the early effort, the home side continued to press and knock the ball around confidently, but Giggs began to see more of the ball.
And on 20 minutes, the winger found space on the left wing and hit a decent cross in to the near post, only for Rudd to strike it poorly into the hands of Nantwich 'keeper Rob Hackney.
Rudd, who was boosted by an heroic double in Saturday's league win over rivals Maine Road, had an even better chance four minutes later, when Josh Howard set him free and allowed him to hit a 20-yard volley, which went over the bar.
Shortly before the half-hour mark, Hackney saved comfortable from a Carden effort and Nantwich hit back when midfielder Phil Parkinson struck a long-range shot over the bar.
United's lack of midfield spark lead boss Karl Marginson to swap Giggs and Howard, with Howard moving over to the right wing and Giggs taking up a position on the left, though playing more in a free role.
Four minutes after the break, the switch proved effective when Giggs got the ball out on the left, beat his man, came inside and slotted the ball stylishly into the net, low to the 'keeper's right for 1-0.
Howard got in on the shooting act on 50 minutes, but fired off target - instead shooting over the bar and hitting a police van parked behind it.
But the former Manchester United youth team captain proved slightly more accurate on 70 minutes, when he threaded a perfect through ball to Rudd, who expertly glided the ball into the top right-hand corner of the goal for 2-0.
The former Skelmersdale man could have put United three up minutes later when he connected well with an Alex Mortimer corner, but the referee stopped any chance of the reds scoring by giving Nantwich a free-kick.
Giggs then had a goal ruled offside after being put through by Carden.
By this time - with 15 minutes or so to go - the home side were all but out of the contest, though the Dabbers did threaten with a corner from their left on 74 minutes.
The cross went to the back post and was played back across the area, though noone in green and white was able to get a foot to it.
With just 11 minutes left, Carden then had his best chance of the game when he went one on one with the 'keeper, but could only win a corner.
The resulting kick from Giggs was fired against the bar from Rudd, with the rebound scrambled home by Chadwick for 3-0.
United could have had a fourth goal shortly afterwards when a close-range effot lead to a shout for handball inside the box. Referee Nigel Day instead gave the reds a corner.
The reds left Jackson Avenue with a clean sheet and a safe passage through to the third round.


 

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