MEN: FC United: It's all a bit surreal

FC United: It's all a bit surreal
Monday, 10th October 2005
Richard Frost
Source: Manchester Evening News

DARREN Lyons, who had a spell at Bury during his League career, is back at Gigg Lane as player-coach with the ground-sharing record-breakers FC United and can't believe the buzz the Red rebels are causing.

They broke the North West Counties League attendance record for the second time in four days as a remarkable 3,808 crowd watched the second division leaders demolish Daisy Hill 6-0, despite the counter TV attraction of the England match.

Lyons, 37, who also played for Macclesfield and Altrincham, said: "I've played in the North West Counties League for a while and know what it's about. But the atmosphere that has been created this season with FC United is a bit strange and surreal."

The attendance was nearly 1,450 higher than the 2,369 that watched Bury's win at Rushden on Friday and also in excess of those at League Two matches at Mansfield and Torquay. Macclesfield recently had a gate of under 1,900 for a home game.

FC United's figure was larger than at any of Saturday's seven Nationwide Conference matches - as well as the 3,000 who watched Lithuania lose 2-0 at home to Serbia and Montenegro in a Group Seven World Cup qualifier!

Shake-up

Lyons, recalled to the side in a tactical shake-up, put them ahead after 28 minutes with a trademark blast through the wall from a free-kick on the edge of the penalty box.

But the game was all over soon afterwards with three goals in five minutes from man-of-the-match Jonathan Mitten (32), Simon Carden (33) and Rory Patterson (37) after Mitten's shot had been parried by the keeper.

United were caught out too often by Daisy Hill's offside trap in the second half but Adie Orr made it 5-0 after 54 minutes and rounded off the rout six minutes from time with a 25-yard hot-shot into the roof of the net.

A penalty by Colin Little on the stroke of half-time gave Altrincham a 1-1 Conference draw at Canvey Island who had taken the lead through Marlo Noto after 34 minutes.

Droylsden completed the record five-figure signing of striker Terry Fearns from Southport in time for the home Nationwide North game with Worksop and he marked his debut with a penalty in a 3-1 home win.

Ashton came from behind twice to land a 2-2 UniBond Premier draw at Marine, but Radcliffe lost 3-1 at Ilkeston.