FC United head to Durham for FA Carlsberg Trophy clash

FC United head to Evo-Stik Division One North side Durham City on Saturday afternoon for what promises to be an interesting FA Carlsberg Trophy tie.

The two sides have met twice before, only last year, when Durham had a fleeting and somewhat disappointing taste of life in the Premier Division. The Citizens arrived into the division with a depleted squad due to financial problems and went onto record the worst set of results of any football team in the country that season.

Being kept going by youth team players playing for the love of the game, Durham were without a win all season, until of course they came to Gigg Lane on the 13th March and battled to what for many of the team would quite possibly be the victory of their careers in front of a crowd of 2,164.

That humbling aside, the good news for United is that they have won at the Arnott Stadium before. Joe Yoffe and Phil Marsh got the goals in a 2-1 victory in the same season.

However, Durham are once again flying high - currently fourth in the Division One North - and they are unbeaten at home since Saturday 17th September and even that defeat came against league leaders Skelmersdale United, who cruised to a 3-0 victory.

United will have to show the desire to win on Saturday, something they haven’t always done against teams lower down the football pyramid, but hopefully a place in the Third Qualifying Round will be enough incentive to see them through.

With the squad given a clean bill of health, the Reds will be looking to create as many chances as they did at Stocksbridge Park Steels last week, whilst putting a few more of them in the back of the net.