FC United slip to narrow defeat at Stalybridge Celtic

A late strike from substitute Theo Bailey-Jones was enough to give Stalybridge Celtic a 1-0 victory over FC United on Tuesday evening at Bower Fold.

The game was always going to be a tough examination for the Reds and so it proved to be over the 90 minutes with the home team providing a high pressing tempo throughout and even pushing on strong late looking for the winner which they got three minutes from time.

It was another unfamiliar looking starting XI for the Reds with five new faces in the starting line-up. As you would expect at this stage of pre-season, some of the inter-play between those new faces needs a bit more work to be match ready.

Having said that there wasn’t a particularly poor performance on the pitch and the signs of a young squad coming together for the season is clearly there with more than two weeks and another five games before we start the 2017/18 season.

Chances were few and far between on the night with half efforts coming close. With more pressure from the home team in the second half, FC United goalkeeper Lloyd Allinson was the star performer on the evening pulling off several saves to keep the game level.

Allinson was unlucky not to take a clean-sheet home with him as Bailey-Jones converted a cross from FC old boy Lee Neville late on to give Celtic the spoils on the evening.

Whilst results aren’t the main point of pre-season, manager Karl Marginson will be looking to move back to winning ways after consecutive defeats when we make another short journey to Abbey Hey on Thursday evening.

Report by Craig Phillips