Monday, September 10, 2012

FC United face FA Cup tie with Salford City

Source: MEN

Salford City have drawn FC United in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup.

The sides will meet Saturday September 22 at Hurst Cross.

Curzon Ashton host Bradford (Park Avenue), while Altrincham travel to Shildon.

Ashton United were handed a home draw against Marine and Droylsden go to the winner of Ossett Town and Whitby Town.

Sunday, September 09, 2012

FC United march on

Source: The FA

FC United of Manchester marched into the Second Qualifying Round of The FA Cup, as they scored a thumping 5-0 victory over Cammell Laird on Sunday with striker Mike Norton scoring twice.

Lee Neville and Jerome Wright were also on target, while an own goal completed a difficult afternoon for the visitors and a memorable one for the hosts.

FC United were 3-0 up by half time and always looked in control at Gigg Lane in front of a crowd of 1,024.

Elsewhere, AFC Dunstable produced an excellent 4-2 away victory at London Lions while Godalming Town and Dulwich Hamlet drew 2-2 and now face a replay.

Cray Wanderers are through, however, following a narrow and hard-fought 1-0 away win at Greenwich Borough.

A late, late goal by substitute Jamie Darvill -who only arrived on the pitch after 75 minutes - put Cray through when he headed home a Michael Power cross right at the death.

Marginson inspired by 2010

Source: The FA

Karl Marginson’s FC United of Manchester had a 'Eureka moment' when his side beat Rochdale 3-2 in The FA Cup in 2010, securing the best result in the club's history. Now, two years on, the manager is hoping for another one.

Elaborating on the win, which set up a Second Round Proper tie with Brighton which they then drew, Marginson reveals that the headline-grabbing Cup run completely transformed the way his side play.

He said: "We had a fantastic experience a couple of years ago beating Rochdale in the First Round and took Brighton into a replay.

"Playing against Brighton, the players went out and played some fantastic football - and it really was a Eureka moment that I had as a coach. Watching them play; it was an inspiring moment."

Marginson describes the victory over Rochdale as a morale booster for not only the team but the fans as well.

He added: "That just whet the appetite of not only myself, but our supporters. They support us for that kind of thing."

Coinciding with their record run in The FA Cup, Marginson quit his job running a fruit and vegetable delivery company to manage the club full time. Describing the consequences of becoming a 24/7 manager, Marginson admitted: "It has changed my life beyond recognition.

"The things that I’m able to do now - not only the with the first team and the older players - but with my job at the Manchester college producing players and helping them with their development.

"It is a real chance to have an impact on young peoples’ lives which is really worthwhile and very fulfilling as a job.

"It’s essential to any club that they’re producing players of a good quality and we want to produce kids who play fantastic football and build careers for themselves.”

While Marginson acknowledges the importance of supporting the youth players, he reserved special praise for Mike Norton - who scored that famous winning goal in their FA cup victory against Rochdale.

He says of Norton: "He’s still the top goalscorer. That’s his final objective and that’s his job, he’s a fantastic player to work with."

FC United of Manchester v Cammell Laird
The FA Cup with Budweiser
First Round Qualifying
3pm, Sunday 9 September 2012
Gigg Lane, Bury FC
Winning clubs receive £3000 from The FA's prize fund

Thursday, September 06, 2012

Wolfenden’s Rebels winner

Source: MEN

FC United moved up to fourth in the Evo-Stik Premier Division with a 1-0 win at struggling Whitby Town, writes Chris Ostick.

A Matt Wolfenden strike in the 58th minute was enough to seal the points for the Rebels against a side still looking for their first win of the season.

An Aaron Burns goal three minutes from time earned Ashton United a 2-2 draw with AFC Fylde at Hurst Cross.

Mark Peers gave the Robins a first-half lead from the penalty spot after Ben Deegan was fouled in the box.

Jack Dorney and Richie Allen scored after the break, however, to give the visitors a lead, before Burns struck late on to leave Ashton third, two points behind leaders Marine.

Both sides now turn to the FA Cup first qualifying round where FC United play Cammell Laird at Gigg Lane on Sunday and Ashton travel to Prescot Cables on Saturday.


Chris Ostick

September 06, 2012

Chairman calm as Blues fall to sixth defeat

Source: Whitby Gazette

Published on Thursday 6 September 2012 07:10

WHITBY Town’s winless start to the season continued when they suffered a second close defeat to title contenders FC United of Manchester in just over a fortnight.

Having been applauded off the pitch in a 3-2 defeat in Lancashire last month, another tight game beckoned on Wednesday - but a single goal consigned Whitby to a sixth defeat in succession.

Despite the alarming start, chairman Graham Manser believes a swift change of fortune is just around the corner.

“If any more opposing chairmen congratulate the Blues on their performance and standard of football and state that they don’t know why we haven’t won a game, I will throw myself off the pier,” he said in his programme notes.

“With the exception of one, each game has been lost by a single goal and in the exception we lost by two goals in stoppage time.

“I am not too despondent, the team is playing well and I feel it is only a matter of time before the results are achieved.”

Despite the sides’ contrasting fortunes in the league so far, there was little to choose between them as chances were at a premium in a tight first half.

Whitby’s Graeme Armstrong had the first crack at goal after some neat build-up play but the big frontman dragged his shot wide.

FC United threatened in the air with impressive centre back Adam Jones thumping a header goalwards from a deep corner but not enough to trouble Liversedge.

FC United’s Mike Norton had an unexpected chance to open the scoring from the type of slip-up that boss Darren Williams is so keen to stamp out.

Keeper Liversedge was dispossessed on the edge of the box by Norton who slid the ball right across the face of goal from an acute angle.

Whitby might have edged in front just before half-time had Shane Henry’s shot well struck shot from skipper Mark Robinson’s cross not been blocked en route to the top of the net.

The Blues’ man of the match Tom Portas then went close after the restart with a lung-bursting run forward before unleashing a skimming past keeper James Spencer but a fraction wide of the far post.

However, the Bury-based visitors got that stroke of luck which has agonisingly eluded Whitby so far this season on 58 minutes. Norton’s header from a deep cross from the right was tipped on to the bar by Liversedge but Matthew Wolfenden was on hand to convert the rebound.

Whitby instantly set out to level the scores and it took an alert stop from Spencer when Henry played a neat one-two with Nathan Mulligan before cracking a decent hit towards goal.

In one of Whitby’s slickest moves of the game, the ball was played out wide to sub Jamie Clarke, in his first game back at the Turnbull since arriving back from Darlington 1883. The veteran striker drove a smart ball across goal and it missed Robinson’s outstretched foot by millimetres.

Defender Alex White, fresh from scoring against AFC Fylde on Saturday, then strode forward and tried his luck with a speculative rocket which kept on rising.

With the introduction of Clarke, Whitby looked more creative but late substitutions combined with United players dramatising injuries to run down the clock ensured the visitors left with the three points, while Darren Williams’ men are left to rue what might have been.

Whitby Town: Liversedge, James, Robinson (c), Burgess, White, Portas, Hassan (Snaith), Tait, Armstrong (Clarke), Mulligan, Henry. Attendance: 482.

Whitby Town 0 FC United of Manchester 1

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

You are here Sport > Football Blues hoping for bumper gate - and first points

Source: Whitby Gazette

WHITBY Town are hoping for a bumper gate tonight (Wed)- and their first points of the season - when they take on high-fliers FC United of Manchester at the Turnbull Ground.

The Blues have endured a nightmare start, with five EvoStik League defeats out of five, but boss Darren Williams insists all their matches so far have been close and that Whitby have dominated much of these fixtures, without reward.

Whitby ran FC United close in a 3-2 reverse last month and were applauded off the pitch by the large crowd at Bury’s Gigg Lane - Williams sees no reason why that level of performance can’t be repeated.

He told the Whitby Gazette: “We are looking forward to tonight’s game.

“We know it will be a good footballing game, it will not be a scrappy game or a long ball situation.

“I’ve spoken to a few of FC United’s backroom staff who have said ‘we’ll see if we can come to your place and snatch your wallet again.’”

Although the Blues played well in August’s away match, Williams is aware that tonight could be a completely different scenario.

“We will have to work hard to get the spoils,” he stressed.

“Fingers crossed we will be able to get our first points on the board and give the lads a lift ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup tie.”

With the weather forecast looking good for today, it is hoped the fixture will attract a good crowd, with more than 600 turning up to see last season’s clash between the two.

“Hopefully, people can see how well we’ve played - it’s not a case of us getting trounced every week because we’re not good enough,” he added.

“We’ve just been creating our own problems and if we cut those out, we will be okay.”

Tonight’s game kicks off at 7.45pm.

* See Friday’s Whitby Gazette for report of Whitby v FC United game.