Spartans out-Foxed by the Rebels

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ALAN McLEAN FCMA CGMA
Chartered Management Accountant

Blyth Spartans 0-1 FC United of Manchester
Tuesday 2nd September
Croft Park
Attendance 623
Evo-Stik Northern Premier League

A goal from FC United of Manchester midfielder Joe Fox just after the half hour mark ensured that the Rebels continued their winning streak against Spartans with a narrow victory, yet a one that could and maybe should have been more convincing. Tom Wade's side will point to three golden opportunities that were missed but in reality the visitors looked a little bit wiser than their hosts and that saw them take the points.

Spartans were unable to call upon the unavailable Dan Hawkins. Thich led to a recall for Paul Robinson and there was a home debut for defender Jordan Watson after the former Sunderland U21 player made his debut in Saturday's away win at Halesowen Town.

The game really took it's time to get going with neither side looking dangerous in the early stages. The busiest man on the pitch was the FC United physio who was called upon to give treatment to Mike Norton and Chris Lynch.

In fact the first chance didn't arrive until midway through the half as the lacklustre game burst into life with a chance that should have led to Spartans taking the lead. An incisive through ball from Robinson released Arran Wearmouth and although his first touch took him around Rebels keeper Carnell it also took him wide of the goal and the chance was wasted.

An even better chance was to be squandered by Spartans just before the half hour mark as this time it was Dale who provided the killer pass. The recipient this time was Dan Maguire but after taking a touch to steady himself the striker could only slide the ball past the far post.

That miss was duly punished just two minutes later with the Rebels first real chance of the game as they showed Spartans exactly how it was done. A vicious Liam Brownhill cross to the back post found Jerome Wright but his effort came back off the angle of bar and post. The loose ball ran to Joe Fox who crashed the ball home from twelve yards.

Wright came within a whisker of a spectacular second for the visitors as a challenge between Norton and Nathan Buddle saw the ball ricochet to the former Maine Road man. He tried an audacious thirty yard snapshot that went narrowly over Peter Jeffries' crossbar with the Spartans number one scrambling back towards his goal.

Two more chances came the Rebels way before the interval but a brave stop from Jeffries denied Norton and the FC United striker was left to rue the alert defending of Alex Nicholson. The former Newcastle United Under 21 full back got back to clear Norton's back post header of the line as he met a cross from Brownhill.

Within a minute of the restart Maguire had almost bettered his opening day stunner against Grantham Town with a vicious volley from the angle of the area but Carnell acrobatically parried the ball to safety.

Spartans almost gifted their visitors a second goal ten minutes into the second half as a slack pass from Robinson was seized upon by the hardworking Norton. The striker smashed a low drive that was palmed away by Jeffries but only as far as Wright who smashed the rebound against the upright.

Spartans came back at the Rebels just after the hour as Dale released Robinson into the area who danced around Stott but his low drive is saved by the legs of Carnell.

From that point on the visitors took over and as Spartans became more desperate to get an equaliser inevitably chances came at the other end. With the clock ticking towards full time Wright should have sealed the win as he is played in on goal but rolls it wide of the far post. That chance coming shortly after he had seen Nathan Buddle divert a low drive from the edge of the box away from goal.

Spartans, to their credit, kept going until the end but seemed to run out of ideas. If anything a second for United seemed more likely than an equaliser but neither was to come and that left Spartans to head into Saturday's Non-League Day with Buxton looking to bounce back.

Teams

Blyth Spartans:

Jeffries, Nicholson, I Watson, J Watson, Buddle, Hooks, Wearmouth(Bell 85), Hutchinson, Maguire, Robinson(Rivers 74), Dale

Subs not used: Sayer, Cummings, Mullen

FC United of Manchester:

Carnell, Brownhill, Ashworth, Stott, Knowles, Lynch, Wolfenden(Daniels 65), Fox(Byrne 78), Norton(Bower 85), Wright, Greaves

Subs not used:

Birch, Cheetham

Referee: Matthew Dicicco