For the second game in succession, Manager Paul Hughes made just a single enforced change, on this occasion Ryan Kinnane missed out through injury to be replaced by Priestly Farquharson while a place on the bench was taken by the returning Sahr Kabba who joins from Harrow Borough.

Two goals in the opening five minutes, a hotly disputed disallowed United goal and a missed Chalfont penalty all worked to keep the crowd warm on a cold, snowy Saturday afternoon at Mill Meadow which saw United draw a League fixture for the first time since November 5th at AFC Dunstable.

The hosts were first to strike after four minutes when Victor Osobu found space on the left side, he worked his way along the bye-line before firing for the near post, Zaki Oualah did well to block out his shot only for Louis Stead to be the quickest to the rebound to fire the Saints ahead.

Less than sixty seconds later however United were back level as Toby Little raced past Mark Goodman on the United left, his perfect centre being met by a powerful header from Manny Duku who planted home his 31st of the season giving home stopper Carl Dennison no chance.

Another chance for the home side came within minutes of conceding United’s equaliser as Max Holland sent Jake Cass away down the right side, the Saints striker cutting inside past two tackles before curling his shot inches wide of Oualah’s far post.

The frantic end to end opening continued soon after as Scott Donnelly played a free-kick forwards from half-way, the ball being controlled by Duku who lofted it over Dennison who was in close attendance, the dropping ball then being headed goalwards by United’s top scorer only for Goodman to kick the ball away off the line.

The home side soon went close again as Stead set up a shooting chance for Alex Paine, the midfielders strike going marginally wide of the United upright.

An error of judgement from Oualah saw the outrushing ‘keeper adjudged to have fouled Cass as the two leapt to head the ball outside the box, the United ‘keeper’s challenge being deemed as a straightforward foul rather than denying a goalscoring opportunity thanks to the two covering defenders and referee Bonnick pulled out only a yellow card. The resultant free-kick being fired past the wall but well over the United goal.

The final chance of a snow hit first half came ten minutes from the interval as Cass brought the ball down on the edge of the box but Oualah was down quickly to grasp the shot at the post and everybody took refuge from the cold at the break with the game evenly balanced at 1-1.

Ten minutes into the second half United thought they were ahead, but weren’t, then the home side looked to take the lead from the spot, but they didn’t and it stayed at 1-1. With Duku having just seen a cross come shot deflect up and off the face of the bar, United soon after had the ball in the net, a pulled back cross from the right was played back into his own six yard box by a defender and poked home by Sahr Kabba only for the assistant referee to raise his flag for offside and what appeared a perfectly good “goal” was refused.

A lack of concentration from United who were still reeling from being denied the lead saw a penalty conceded within a minute of the incident. Osobu stepped up and from twelve yards drilled his kick over the bar, much to United’s relief.

After this the game as a spectacle sort of died a bit as both sides saw plenty of possession but the only noteworthy chance on goal came after 75 minutes when Duku collected the ball on the right hand bye-line, his pull back to the on-coming Toby Little fell nicely for the wing-back but his shot was well read and deflected wide for a corner by the impressive Saints skipper Alan Hedley. The corner itself came to nothing and the game petered out with both sides remaining in the promotion hunt but on the day had to settle for a point apiece.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Ray Peploe.

United Man of the Match: Priestly Farquharson.