Despite being without the services of four potential starters due to work commitments, and with Roddy Collins suspended, Paul Hughes’ squad showed excellent strength in depth to beat a third step 3 side en route to the first round proper of the Buildbase FA Trophy courtesy of a come from behind victory at Brightlingsea Regent on a wet and windy Tuesday evening in deepest Essex.
To add further to United’s squad reduction as stated above, travel chaos once again caused players and supporters to be delayed, this time on the A12 following an accident, and the kick-off was delayed by 30 minutes to 20:15.
Despite the late arrival and kick-off, United got going quite quickly and could have taken the lead as early as the ninth minute when battling against the wind a long Jack Smith punt up-field saw Hassan Jalloh collect the ball and feed it through to Lee Barney who moved into the R’s box before seeing his shot blocked away by the impressive James Bradbrook in the home goal.
Minutes later the home side went close themselves as Harvey Hodd pounced on a loose ball 20 yards out and flashed in a low shot that skidded just wide of Smith’s upright.
As we reached the midway part of the half, Josh Chamberlain fired the ball across the park to Tom Jelley and he played it inside to Hassan Jalloh who turned his marker only for Bradbrook to get down well to hold onto his low drive.
United appeared to suffer a blow, that turned out to be a master stroke, just past the half hour mark when Tom Jelley pulled up with a knock and had to be replaced by Toby Little meaning a switch of sides for Ed Asafu-Adjaye as Little took his regular place on the left.
The disruption to the United defence did cost Paul Hughes side however five minutes from the break as three attempts to clear the ball away in the centre of the United half all failed and the ball found its way to Jake Gould on the left flank, his well struck centre being flicked into the far corner beyond Smith’s reach by a stooping Jake Clowsley, the first goal United had conceded in this years’ competition after four clean sheets.
And we went in a goal adrift at the break.
A positive half-time change for United saw striker Great Evans replace midfielder Ola Olajubu as Paul Hughes asked his side for a quick response to going behind, which was indeed forthcoming.
Just a couple of minutes into the second half, Scott Bridges played a free-kick into the box, Evans rose highest to head the ball back across goal to Barney who saw his close range header pushed wide by Bradbrook and just four minutes later Bridges found Little on the left side, the United substitute pulling the ball back perfectly to Jalloh who looked up before curling the ball past Bradbrook into the bottom corner to bring United level.
With the equaliser in the bag, United started to take control of proceedings as they had on Saturday despite then being a man short. Just three minutes after levelling, Little again broke free on the left, this time his centre found Chamberlain who saw his goalbound effort turned wide by Bradbrook.
Bradbrook fumbled and then gathered a speculative Jalloh strike on the hour and then five minutes later a deep United corner dropped to Keano Robinson at the back post, his shot being hacked off the line by an R’s defender.
Asafu-Adjaye then intercepted a Brightlingsea pass and threaded the ball forwards to Bridges who helped it through to Barney who saw his dipping effort just clear Bradbrook’s crossbar.
A rare worrying moment for the United defence came on 70 minutes when a free-kick from the left by Ricky Griggs picked out Josh Gould in the middle but the central defender was way off target with his header despite being somewhat loosely marked by the United defence.
Two minutes later and a flying Bradbrook made his best save yet as the Bradbrook v United tie continued. Little again the cause of the hosts worries, the wing-back breaking away on the left towards the corner of the box where he unleashed a drive that looked like it was flying into the top corner but for an acrobatic tip over by Bradbrook. Little himself took the corner kick that sailed over all and sundry only to cannon back into play off the far post and the rebound when fired goalwards was again cleared off the line to safety.
Fifteen minutes remained as Smith easily swept up a shot from range by Billy Hunt before a deflected Asafu-Adjaye shot from the right hand corner or the R’s area drew another good save from Bradbrook.
The home stopper was unable to prevent United’s winner minutes later though. A free-kick was awarded to the right of the R’s area, Little stepped up and with his magical left foot he struck a curling shot with such power that it flew past the wall and Bradbrook into the far corner of the net to give United a deserved lead.
Despite the home side seeing a fair share of the ball in the final 10 minutes plus stoppage time, Smith was not troubled in the least and United will now travel to step 2 side, National League North and Buildbase FA Trophy holders Brackley Town in the first round proper of this year’s tournament on December 15th.
Report by Kevin Watts.
United Man of the Match: Toby Little.
Ola Olajubu 
