FC United of Manchester 1 Durham City 2

Source: Journal Live

Mar 15 2010 by Steve Brown, The Journal

UniBond League Premier Division

HE said it was coming, even predicted the day.

Now, finally, magnificently, heroically and rewardingly it can be said that Durham City are winners once more.

Stripped to their bones by departing sponsors and players and deprived their manager Lee Collings, banned for fielding Josh Home-Jackson under a different name, the Esh Group Stadium outfit had lost 28 out of 28 UniBond Premier games

Then came Saturday. Just six days earlier stand-in boss Dicky Ord told The Journal that his team of college kids, enhanced by the ‘experience’ of the likes of Andrew Stephenson and Dan Sanders, WOULD win this season.

And so it was at Bury’s Gigg Lane, home of FC United of Manchester, in front of 2000, who offered a standing ovation to a side victorious thanks to Stephenson’s 45-yarder and Elliott Cutts’ penalty, and a spot-kick save by Rhys Jobling (Carlos Rocca having already scored for the hosts).

There were nerves and tension, tears and an impromptu sing-song on the bus trip back courtesy of guitarist Paul ‘Ginger Maradona’ Taylor.

“They were absolutely magnificent, I’m so proud of them,” Ord said.

“You couldn’t make it up any better, at a Football League ground in front of 2000. There was a bit of tension before the game because of that but once it started they were brilliant.

“We changed the system to 4-5-1, leaving Elliott Cutts on his own up front, with Andrew Stephenson in behind him and they were outstanding.

“We went a goal down but that’s all they had, we were always in the game. Stevo broke through three times and scored his goal from about 45 yards – he tried it twice last week as well! Elliott held his nerve for his penalty, and young Rhys in goal was superb saving their penalty. What he lacks in height he more than makes up for in being as brave as a lion.

“They’ve got a big scoreboard with the clock ticking down, I was a bag of nerves.

“The scenes after the game were fantastic, I left them to it and went in the shower for a bit bubble. Ian Walker, the chairman, had a lump in his throat too. This is down to everyone at the club and Lee Collings especially.”

DURHAM CITY: Jobling, Stoker, Ayers (Winter), Harbord, Batey, D Sanders, Graham, Stephenson, Cutts (Taylor), Winter, Wren (Sanders). Man of the Match: Cutts.