Reds challenge is hotting up

Source: Bury Times

1:33pm Wednesday 15th April 2009
By Liam Chronnell »


KARL Marginson is convinced six points from FC United’s final two games will guarantee them a place in the play-offs.

The Rebels dropped out of the top five after Monday’s goalless draw with rivals Nantwich Town.

The stalemate leaves the Gigg Lane tenants one point adrift of the play-off spots, having played at least one more game than most of their rivals.

But Marginson is adamant that victories at Ilkeston, on Saturday, and at home to Bradford Park Avenue in their final game – who lie second and third in the UniBond Premier League table respectively – will keep alive the Reds’ promotion hopes.

“We said before the match with Nantwich that we thought seven points from our last three games would be enough and we still do,” said the FC manager.

“We probably didn’t expect the draw to come here but at least we now know what we have to do.

“We’vet beaten Ilkeston already this season, so we know we can do it again.”

FC’s play-off hopes remained on a knife-edge following the draw with the fourth-placed Cheshire club.

Three times the hosts hit the woodwork but they could not break the deadlock in a pulsating clash in front of a crowd of 2,860 at Gigg Lane.

Nicky Platt thought he had opened the scoring in the first half but his thunderbolt shaved the upright.

The midfielder also saw his curling 25-yard effort come back off the crossbar three minutes after the restart, while substitute Jamie Baguley’s deflected free-kick rattled the woodwork in the final minute.

But it was not all one-way traffic though, and Town’s Andy Kinney saw his 71st-minute header cleared off the line.

“We did everything but score,” said Marginson, whose side are unbeaten in eight games now. “We’ve been on an incredible run and a great momentum over the last six or seven weeks.

“Now we just need one final push.”