Pre-match line-up with match officials, club captains and United mascot Lewis Carey.









Chelmsford City put United to the sword for the second time this season, following up on August’s 4-0 victory at the Melbourne Stadium, the Clarets came to York Road on a wet Saturday in November and went home with a comfortable 5-0 victory, helped in part by the first half dismissal of United’s Devante McKain.

Manager Garry Haylock made two changes to the victorious side from a week earlier with Josh Scott and Ismael Ehui swopping places while Mason Spence was recalled to the starting XI in place of the injured Luke Williams.

With the rain making the pitch very wet, it was the visitors who took the initiative early on with Luke Daley volleying over before Matthew Whitchelow went close with a curling free-kick from 20 yards. Left wing-back Bagasan Graham burst into the United box in the 14th minute but was denied by United ‘keeper Dan Lincoln who was down sharply to save.

Clarets skipper Mark Hughes then scooped a good chance over the top before a break on the left by Daley saw his low centre turned in at the near post by the sliding Hugo Skepelhorn.

It was almost half an hour played before Clarets ‘keeper Christian Dibble was tested, Mason Spence collected the ball 20 yards out and hit a firm low skidding shot that Dibble blocked out with referee Leach awarding a free-kick to the defending side as two players slid in for the loose ball.

Ten minutes later disaster struck for United when Devante McKain slid in for a tackle just outside the box, failing to connect with the ball and having already been cautioned, after a lengthy delay and much moaning from the visiting players, he produced a second yellow card and the hosts were down to ten men. To make matters worse, Whitchelow again stepped up to the free-kick, this time giving Lincoln no chance with an excellent curling effort into the top corner.

The second half couldn’t have started worse for United as it took the visitors just four minutes to add a third. Rob Girdlestone and Skepelhorn combined down the right with the latter’s driven cross being tapped home by Daley inside the six yard box.

Within a minute United went close to reducing the arrears when Cole Brown’s cross from the left was only cleared as far as Adam Everitt but his low shot from 18 yards went agonisingly the wrong side of the upright.

Soon though it was four for the Clarets when a fine move involving Mark Haines, Skepelhorn and Whichelow ended with the ball being returned to Skepelhorn who slid it ball neatly past Lincoln’s dive to effectively end the game as a contest.

With the Clarets really making the extra man tell, Lincoln did well to deny Skepelhorn a hat-trick before Ben Marlow fired over when well placed 15 yards out.

A Lincoln punt up field did give United a rare sight at goal as the hard working Josh Scott controlled the ball, turned his marker and tried his luck from distance but Dibble was equal to his effort.

With 11 minutes to go Lincoln made the save of the game to deny Hughes, his shot taking a wicked deflection on route to goal which saw Lincoln going the wrong way before reversing in mid turn to push the ball away, sadly as play returned to the United area number five arrived. Substitute Billy Bricknell gathering the ball in the box, turning past his marker and firing past Lincoln.

As the clock hit 90 it looked to have got worse for United when a penalty was awarded for handball against Jim Fenlon. Lee Sawyer stepped up to the mark but was denied by a fine diving save by Lincoln. Stoppage time turned somewhat into the Clarets versus Lincoln show as three times the United ‘keeper made saves, denying Sawyer again, then Bricknell before a flying tip away denied Whichelow a second.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Ray Peploe.

SKYex United Man of the Match: Max Worsfold.

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