FC United start season with six goal thriller at Stockport
FC United started the 2018/19 season in the Vanarama National League North with a six goal thriller at Stockport County but, unfortunately, the hosts scored five of them.
The Reds had looked good in pre-season with six wins, one draw and three defeats, two of which came against clubs in the Football League.
However, that was all spectacularly undone in 45 minutes as Tom Greaves’ side were 3-0 done at halftime. The Reds got a goal back through Kurt Willoughby with 20 minutes to go but it proved to be a mere consolation as County added two more in the final five minutes.
FC United took to the field with only Joel Senior and Sam Baird figuring from the team that had staved off relegation at the end of last season. But some FC fans must be wondering about the wisdom of Tom Greaves’s wholesale clear-out of players after this 5-1 defeat at Edgeley Park.
It could have all been so different if Brad Barnes hadn’t been replaced by Matt Dempsey following a nasty knee twist inside the first couple of minutes but the final scoreline didn’t lie.
County’s man of the match Frank Mulhern had a shot cleared off the line from their first corner, and then in the 12th minute scored to make it 1-0 with an unchallenged header from their second corner.
The Reds tried to get back into the game with shots from the impressive Jack Bannister and Willoughby, but Stockport doubled their lead on the half hour mark. A loose ball from Stephen O’Halloran ended up at the feet of Matthew Warburton, whose simple tap-in was his eighth goal against FC United, more than any other player in our 13 years of existence.
There were several more good chances for the Hatters before FC found themselves 3-0 down at half time for the third consecutive match at Edgeley Park. The big bald number 7 Sam Minihan was a constant thorn in United’s side and it was his searching pass that found Warburton again who hit the net at close range.
County started the second half where they left off. Darren Stephenson continued to torture the Reds down the left and had a goal-bound shot blocked by O’Halloran in the first minute, followed by Mulhern hitting the bar.
Greaves brought on Sam Tattum and Jamal Crawford on 67 minutes and for the first time in the match, the Reds started to string a few things together. Tattum was in the action immediately and his cross from the right found Willoughby, who tucked it away for a goal on his competitive debut.
With six minutes to go, the FC United fans were still in fine voice. Baird’s looping header from a corner went agonisingly close. Then against the run of play, Stockport scored two more soft goals in the last two minutes and United were down and out five goals to one.
Report by Nick Duckett
FC United start season with six goal thriller at Stockport
FC United started the 2018/19 season in the Vanarama National League North with a six goal thriller at Stockport County but, unfortunately, the hosts scored five of them.
The Reds had looked good in pre-season with six wins, one draw and three defeats, two of which came against clubs in the Football League.
However, that was all spectacularly undone in 45 minutes as Tom Greaves’ side were 3-0 done at halftime. The Reds got a goal back through Kurt Willoughby with 20 minutes to go but it proved to be a mere consolation as County added two more in the final five minutes.
FC United took to the field with only Joel Senior and Sam Baird figuring from the team that had staved off relegation at the end of last season. But some FC fans must be wondering about the wisdom of Tom Greaves’s wholesale clear-out of players after this 5-1 defeat at Edgeley Park.
It could have all been so different if Brad Barnes hadn’t been replaced by Matt Dempsey following a nasty knee twist inside the first couple of minutes but the final scoreline didn’t lie.
County’s man of the match Frank Mulhern had a shot cleared off the line from their first corner, and then in the 12th minute scored to make it 1-0 with an unchallenged header from their second corner.
The Reds tried to get back into the game with shots from the impressive Jack Bannister and Willoughby, but Stockport doubled their lead on the half hour mark. A loose ball from Stephen O’Halloran ended up at the feet of Matthew Warburton, whose simple tap-in was his eighth goal against FC United, more than any other player in our 13 years of existence.
There were several more good chances for the Hatters before FC found themselves 3-0 down at half time for the third consecutive match at Edgeley Park. The big bald number 7 Sam Minihan was a constant thorn in United’s side and it was his searching pass that found Warburton again who hit the net at close range.
County started the second half where they left off. Darren Stephenson continued to torture the Reds down the left and had a goal-bound shot blocked by O’Halloran in the first minute, followed by Mulhern hitting the bar.
Greaves brought on Sam Tattum and Jamal Crawford on 67 minutes and for the first time in the match, the Reds started to string a few things together. Tattum was in the action immediately and his cross from the right found Willoughby, who tucked it away for a goal on his competitive debut.
With six minutes to go, the FC United fans were still in fine voice. Baird’s looping header from a corner went agonisingly close. Then against the run of play, Stockport scored two more soft goals in the last two minutes and United were down and out five goals to one.
Report by Nick Duckett
