On the back of the excellent news during the week regarding funding to get us home, Tristan Lewis and his team secured United’s place in next seasons Vanarama National League South with a 2-0 victory over Bath City at York Road on a sunny Saturday afternoon courtesy of early strikes from skipper Dean Inman and Greg Morgan.

United started quickly with an early free-kick from Christian Smith being well held by visiting ‘keeper Jason Mellor in just the fourth minute. Sixty seconds later he was beaten though when a ball from the right was allowed to bounce in the six yard box, Dean Inman climbed highest to get enough purchase on his header to fire the ball into the top corner of the Romans goal with Mellor well beaten.

Minutes later it could have been two for Tristan Lewis’s side, Jim Fenlon crossed from the right side to Robbie Matthews who met the ball well and his header was heading for the same top corner only for Mellor to this time get both hands to the ball to push it away for a corner that was subsequently cleared.

Goal number two came in freak fashion just a short while further into the game, a punt forwards from almost halfway by Greg Morgan took a bounce on the hard York Road surface and with Mellor caught in no-mans-land the ball sailed over his head and bounced into the vacant net giving the former Boreham Wood man his first United goal.

With a two goal advantage neatly tucked away, United concentrated on keeping the visitors at bay, something that was done in a comfortable manner with little threat coming at either end until the second minute of stoppage time when a deep Luke Williams corner picked out Christian Smith at the far post but his header was wide of the target.

The visitors made a change at half-time with attack minded Ross Stearn replacing full-back and captain Andy Gallinagh as manager Lee Howells re-shaped his side. The change almost had an immediate effect as a long ball up field found David Pratt who under pressure from George McLennan fired over Grant Smith’s goal having entered the United box.

Just before the hour mark the Romans missed a gilt edged chance to get themselves back in the game when Nic McCootie picked off a poor pass in the United area, Grant Smith did extremely well to get a strong hand to the strikers effort and as the ball went into the air, McCootie headed wide from two yards under pressure from Fenlon.

The woodwork came to Uniteds rescue soon after when Stearn fired a free-kick from 20 yards that beat the wall and Smith before cannoning back off the crossbar with Pratt heading wide from close range although his blushes were spared as he had been flagged offside anyway.

United’s flurries into the danger area at the other end mainly seemed to reverberate from Morgan, his deep centre found Rhys Murrell-Williamson at the far post, the wide man firing goalwards from a very acute angle that still forced a tip away by Mellor as the ball flew across the face of goal.

As the game entered its final phase, Matthews got his head to another Morgan cross after Mellor had allowed the ball to sail over his outstretched hand but couldn’t find the target while at the other end a swinging cross from the right found McCootie unmarked at the far post but he headed wide of the target.

Final chance of the game came a minute from the end as Morgan headed a Mellor clearance through the middle into the run of debutant Chinedu Vine who was only denied from getting shot away by an excellent sliding challenge from Dan Ball just inside his own box.

The final whistle blew and United's 2-0 victory sees safety achieved and a big congratulations goes to Tristan and his players and staff on this against the backdrop of almost certainly the lowest playing budget in the division and the off field problems that received a massive boost this week courtesy of the hard work undertaken by Chairman Tony O'Driscoll.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Ray Peploe.

United Man of the Match: Greg Morgan.

Print the Teamsheet: Here.