Goals from the three “D’s” saw United return to winning ways at the SKYex on Saturday as Paul Hughes’ side secured a second maximum points tally of the season against fellow promotion hopefuls Hartley Wintney.
The gaffer made three changes to the side beaten midweek at Egham with Keano Robinson, Laste Dombaxe and Kaan Fehmi all coming from the bench to the starting XI as Tom Smith, Spyros Mentis and Ismael Ehui moved in the opposite direction.
The third placed visitors from Hampshire opened the game well and could have scored with less than two minutes played. Paul Hodges and Jake Baxter combined well on the left side, the latter’s swinging cross saw Ryan Kinnane get just enough on his header to put off former United man Ashleigh Artwell at the far post and the midfielder headed wide of the target.
United however soon started to control the game more with skipper Scott Donnelly being denied by the woodwork in the eighth minute, his free-kick from the corner of the Hartley area beating the wall and with ‘keeper Paul Strudley wrong footed, the ball came back off the crossbar, Manny Duku headed the ball back into the mix where Kaan Fehmi headed inches over from a tight angle.
Minutes later, a free-kick from the opposite side more suited to Toby Little’s left foot also beat the wall, this time Strudley was able to dive and push the effort away to safety before United took the lead on 22 minutes. Donnelly gave his marker “the eyes” and switched the ball in the opposite direction to Duku, he beat his marker on the right side of the box and chipped the ball over Strudley to Laste Dombaxe who barrelled it over the line between two defenders.
Ten minutes remained in the half and United maybe should have snatched a second, Duku collected from Little down the left flank, he outpaced Liam Eagle and with Fehmi unmarked in the middle, he opted to try his luck from a tight angle only to be denied by Strudley.
This chance came back to haunt United three minutes later as Keano Robinson gave away a free-kick 20 yards from his goal, the line-up for the kick seemed a little off kilter by ‘keeper Zaki Oualah and this proved to be the case as Dean Stow stepped up and fired past the wall into the United net beyond Oualah’s dive.
The final chance of the half again fell to United, Donnelly chipped a free-kick into the Hartley area, Duku throwing himself at the ball was inches from connecting and the ball sailed away harmlessly and the half came t a close soon after with the sides level at one apiece.
After an even opening to the second half with little or no goal mouth action, United took the lead in style just before the hour mark. Donnelly chipped the ball forwards to Duku, he collected but was wide of the six yard box, he played the ball to Fehmi in the centre who held it up before setting Donnelly, his initial effort was blocked upwards and despite being on his backside from the initial pass, Fehmi manager to head the ball back to Donnelly who cracked home a volley from the edge of the box.
Minutes later Adam Cash came close to opening his goalscoring account with United as a mammoth goal-kick from Oualah was helped on by visiting defender Jack Ball to Duku, he swept the ball left to the on-coming Cash who fired goalwards with power only to be denied by Strudley who grasped his effort at the second attempt.
A ten minute spell in the game saw the visitors have a large chunk of the ball however the United defence repelled any threat from the visitors until the 78th minute when Ball advanced from the back to get his head to a Stow centre, only for the defender to miscue his header and the ball flew well wide of the target.
Five minutes from time the visitors threatened again as a neat move involving Hodges and Ciardini saw the ball moved to the left side where Artwell crossed to Baxter but the Hartley striker headed wide under pressure from the United defence. Ciardini soon after fired wide after collecting from Stow on the edge of the box as the United defence continued to keep on top of the visiting forwards.
With two minutes remaining, another booming Oualah kick found Duku on the edge of the box as he latched onto a poor Eagle touch, the United top scorer being driven wide before firing a shot that Strudley spread himself well to block away for a corner, Donnelly’s kick being cleared away by the Hartley defence.
In the second minute of stoppage time, Ciardini conceded possession to Ola Olajubu in the United box, the powerhouse midfielder finding Donnelly to his right and he in turn fired an excellent ball forwards to an unmarked Duku, the United striker turning back past Ball’s sliding attempt to block before firing past Strudley for his 28th of the campaign and thus sealing three crucial points for Paul Hughes’ side.
Report by Kevin Watts.
Photos by Ray Peploe.
United Man of the Match: Scott Donnelly.
Print the Teamsheet: Here.
