FC United of Manchester FC United of Manchester FC United of Manchester Badge FC United of Manchester Pitch In

Margy demands more from his team ahead of trip to Blyth

FC United manager Karl Marginson has called on his players to put together a run of victories by cutting out defensive mistakes, as the ninth place Reds look to build on our five game unbeaten run when we travel to Blyth Spartans this evening.

United beat Ramsbottom 3-1 on Saturday and are now just one of four unbeaten teams in the Evo-Stik Premier Division with the others all being at the top of the table; Stamford, Curzon Ashton, and Skelmersdale United.

Margy said: “I thought the first half on Saturday was the worst we’ve played so far this season. You’ve got to give credit to Ramsbottom for that. We got back into the match with a little bit of luck, which we’ve perhaps not had in recent weeks, and then we put in a good second half performance.

“We’ve got goals in us but the players have to work harder on keeping their defensive shape. We’ve been letting teams back into matches by gifting them goals, mainly due to individual errors. When we go ahead we really need to strangle teams and make it as difficult as possible for them to get back on level terms. It’s something we’ve talked about a lot and the players are aware that they need to do it.???

Despite highlighting defensive errors as the main source of frustration, Margy singled out Saturday’s backline of Luke Ashworth, Chris Lynch and James Knowles for praise. He said: “The three of them were excellent on Saturday. In the first half, they were maybe a bit unsure positionally to begin with but that’s perhaps to be expected considering it was the first time they’d played together. But as the game progressed, I thought they played well and didn’t give Ramsbottom any opportunities in the second half.???

Margy said the club would be interested in taking on Lynch for longer than his initial month loan period but it may not be possible. He explained: “I’ll be speaking to Liam Watson at Southport but, ultimately, Chris is his player and if he wants him back then there’s nothing we can do about it. They’ve helped us out with the loan and we’ve helped them by giving Chris some games after injury, so they might want him back now.???

There is good news on the injury front that winger Craig Lindfield is recovering well from a swollen knee sustained against Buxton. Margy said: “Craig is still due to go for a scan this week but he’s doing well. He’s already doing bits of light training, so it looks like he’ll be fine. I’m really pleased with how he’s been doing.???

Dave Birch will face a late fitness test tonight after missing Saturday’s victory due to some sore muscles but Margy says everyone else should be fit and raring to go. Meanwhile, former FC United winger Stephen Johnson has been back training with the club but Margy says there are no immediate plans for him to feature in the first team. “Stephen took a break from football after becoming a bit disillusioned with it. He got in touch recently to ask whether he could come down to training, so I agreed. He wants to get back fit, which we’re happy to help him with. If he does that, we’ll see where we go from there.???

Blyth Spartans versus FC United is tonight at Croft Park with a kick-off time of 7.45pm. It’s pay on the gate as usual. Get yourself to that football ground.

For those fans who aren’t making the trip, FCUM Radio will have live commentary on the whole match from 7.30pm. For details of how to access FCUM Radio visit their website at www.fcumradio.co.uk



First Posted ~ 12:39 Tue 2 Sep 2014
News ID ~ 5675
Last Updated ~ 01:52 Tue 16 Feb 2021