Richard Ord: Durham City can upset FC United

Source: Newcastle Evening Chronicle

Mar 12 2010

Evening Chronicle

FORMER Sunderland and QPR star Richard Ord believes his Durham City side can produce the shock of the season in the Premier Division tomorrow.

Without a point from 28 games, Ord takes his young guns into the lions’ den which is Gigg Lane, the home of rebel fans’ club FC United of Manchester.

FC United average crowds of 2,000, but Ord believes his inexperienced side will rise to the occasion rather than be overawed.

He said: “I fancy us to pick up our first point, and it would be great to do so in front of the biggest crowd most of the players will have played in front of.

“FC United are a big club who are moving through the leagues, but we gave them a good run for their money at the Esh Stadium.

“We also did well for a large part of the game against promotion-chasing Boston United last week, and we will head for Bury with nothing to lose."

City could field an unchanged side for the first time this season, though Robbie Betson will come in at right-back if he signs from Seaham Red Star.

That would allow the versatile Max Stoker to add a physical presence up front, but a bid to sign the Purewal brothers from Bishop Auckland has fallen through.

Recent signing Kesandu Okike, the former Gateshead striker, is sidelined with a back injury as Durham search for their first clean sheet of the season.

FC United lost for the first time in 2010 when they went down 3-0 at Buxton last weekend and are currently 11th in the table, having won a modest six of their 13 league games at home.

Durham director of football Austin Carney said: “Playing FC United at Gigg Lane is what we are in the UniBond League for.”