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Last gasp United keep play-off hopes alive - updated

An injury time winner from Ben Deegan saw FC United claim a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ossett Town on Wednesday night as the Reds kept their play-off hopes alive.

Jerome Wright struck inside the first 10 minutes but the visitors from West Yorkshire levelled matters in the second half before Deegan snatched a late winner.

The result also meant that the Reds kept their superb 2010 unbeaten run going. The match wasn’t a classic but United managed to take the three points right at the end when it looked like they would have to settle for just one.

It was Ossett who had the first chance on four minutes but thankfully Thornton shot wide. It took a freak goal from Wright to put the Reds a goal up. He collected the ball out wide on the left wing from Deegan after good work by Carlos Roca and played in a cross which looked harmless enough but looped over the keeper’s head and dropped into the net.

In truth it was a very scrappy half with not much football being played, Kyle Wilson was unlucky with a good run and shot that went wide and shortly after with another shot that flew over. The game exploded into life on 38 minutes with a challenge by Simon Carden which left an Ossett player writhing on the floor. The away players took exception to this and the handbags came out.

After it all calmed down, the referee gave Carden a yellow card as well as one of the Ossett players, presumably for his part in the afters.

FC could and possibly should have extended their lead on 53 minutes when a great run and pass by Roca played in Carden whose attempt at lifting the ball over the keeper was thwarted by a good save with the ball cleared just as Deegan was about to slot it in.

Ossett were getting more and more into the game but FC continued to create chances but almost every shot flew high or wide. Andrew Catton had a couple of chances for the away team with one being saved by Sam Ashton and another blocked by his own man and it looked only a matter of time before the away team would equalise and they did through the dangerous Catton who beat the offside trap and lifted the ball over Ashton.

Just as it looked like FC had to settle for a point, captain David Chadwick cleared the ball for Deegan to run onto, he beat the oncoming keeper to the ball and got just enough on it to slowly roll it into the net. All credit to the FC striker who got straight up, from the rather robust challenge from the keeper to celebrate with his teammates.

The game ended on a sour note with the Ossett right back James Fradgley being carried off with a quite serious looking injury. But after a check over at the hospital James was released with no serious problems.

So all in all three important points for FC but the game and performance was far from a classic. Credit must go to Phil Marsh who played pretty well at right back and Mark Ayres who looked solid and composed on his first FC start.


Ossett Town
3rd March 2010
Played at: Gigg Lane, Bury
UniBond League Premier

Won: 2-1
Half Time: 1-0
Attendance: 1681

FC United
1. S Ashton
2. P Marsh
3. L Quistin
4. J Cottrell (cautioned 45+2)
5. D Chadwick (capt) (cautioned 80)
6. M Ayres
7. C Roca
8. S Carden (cautioned 39)
9. K Wilson
10. J Wright
11. B Deegan (cautioned 90+3)
Subs
12. A Rigoglioso
13.
14. A Tsiaklis (for 9 74)
15. A Karim
16. R Nugent
17. J Yoffe (for 7 59)

Scorers: Wright 11, Deegan 90+3

Ossett Town
1. B Simpson
2. J Fradgley
3. R Hardaker
4. D Ricardo (cautioned 39)
5. M Plant (cautioned 80)
6. N Hay(capt)
7. A Catton
8. Luke Malcher
9. P Sykes
10. D Thornton
11. A Jones
Subs
12. D Clay (for 2 90+7)
13.
14. Lee Malcher (for 8 74)
15. R Brook
16. J Douglas
17. J Bennett

Scorer: Catton 77



First Posted ~ 13:55 Mon 8 Mar 2010
News ID ~ 2750
Last Updated ~ 01:52 Tue 16 Feb 2021