Source: Morning Starby MIKE ROBERTS at the Arbories Memorial Sports Ground
Bouncing back from Tuesday night's midweek defeat at Salford City, the rebel club again found their hosts difficult to break down, despite enjoying the lion's share of possession. Steve Spencer fed Rory Patterson with a superb through-ball, but the FC United striker was upended by Padiham 'keeper Gavin King as he was about to apply the finishing touch. King found his name being taken by the referee and Patterson rolled the resulting penalty kick a foot wide.
Patterson was again sent clear courtesy of a super pass from captain Dave Chadwick, but this time flashed a shot across the face of the goal with the home defence at full stretch. In response, Ed O'Neill's 20-yard effort flashed inches wide, as the home side looked to do their damage on the break.
The second half began in much the same fashion as the first with the visitors forcing a succession of corners and it was only a matter of time before they took the lead.
It was Rhodri Giggs who twice supplied the telling centres from the right-hand side, his first being nodded down by Stuard Rudd to leave Simon Carden with the easy task of firing the Reds in front. When Giggs, brother of Manchester United's Ryan, again got free on the right flank, his telling cross was prodded home by the stooping Carden to put the result effectively beyond doubt.
Centre forward Stuart Rudd added a third in the dying seconds to trigger the celebrations among a significant contingent of travelling supporters, but Padiham had dug in and their decision to play the fixture on their home ground was perhaps a lesson to other clubs at this level, as the Burnley-based side kept the Manchester club at bay during the first hour of the contest.
TEAMS:
Padiham: King, Pickup, Ingham, Paynter, Barnham, Woods, OíNeill, Parkes, Barrett, Fildes, Bennett
FC United: Ashton, Taylor, Mortimer, Spencer, Chadwick, Nugent, Giggs, Carden, Rudd, Howard, Patterson
Attendance: Attendance: 1371.
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