Reds back to winning ways after home win over Grantham

FC United bounced back from their first defeat of the season at Frickley in midweek as they beat Grantham Town 3-1 at Bower Fold on Saturday afternoon thaks to a brace from Matthew Wolfenden and a late strike from Callum Byrne.

It didn’t take the Reds long to get back into the swing of things as Wolfenden opened the scoring within three minutes as Greg Daniels fired the ball across the six yard box leaving Wolfenden the simplest of finishes at the far post.The game then slipped into the cycle that so many games have this season with United controlling the game but not finding that lethal touch in the final third to kill the game off early.

Having said that, United had a few half chances and Wolfenden had a great opportunity to double his tally for the day as a he got his head onto a ball from the left at the far post but saw his effort agonisingly creep wide.You got the feeling that despite the greater amounts of possession the Reds were playing a dangerous game with the single goal lead and in the early seconds of the second half they paid the price as Jordan Hempenstall scored from an attack straight from kick off.

The second half was then a bit more of an even game with the visitors looking dangerous on the attack reminding United that if they were going to push forward that they were more than capable of capitalising on any gaps left at the back. Wolfenden soon re-established United’s lead finishing off a direct move which came from a long ball at the back. The ball made its way to Greaves on the right, who passed to Daniels who put a great ball to an unmarked Matthew Wolfenden on the left of the box and Wolfenden simply doesn’t miss opportunities like that.

United could have easily fell into the trap of defending the lead, but they went for the finish throughout the second half and the returning Stephen Johnson looked like he had netted the third when he beat the visiting goalkeeper before seeing his effort hit first the post and then up onto the cross bar before being ushered away by the Grantham defence.

FC United did get the third that their performance had deserved late in the game as Callum Byrne got onto a low Greaves ball on the edge of the box to coolly slot the ball away and give United the three points. After ten games United sit seventh in the league, having lost just once and are just six points off the early pace setters at the top. Despite having drawn six out of the first ten games it is a pretty good position to be in at this point.

Website man of the match: Matthew Wolfenden - scored two, could have had three and even made the break out of defence that lead to the third at the end.

Report by Craig Phillips