Manager Paul Hughes made a single change from the side that brought home maximum points from Farnborough for the visit of table toppers Tiverton Town with Aaron McCreadie returning to the starting XI in place of Connor Toomey.

The first effort of the game went the way of the Devonians as Jordan Bastin took and received back a short corner on the edge of the United box, his low shot being dealt with comfortably by Jack Smith low to his left.

Minutes later United's first piece of creativity saw Manny Duku and Ogo Obi combine on the left side, the latter finding Gabriel Piorkowski whose curling effort was too high to trouble Tivvy's debutant 'keeper Neal Osborn.

Another opening for the visitors came soon after when the impressive Noah Smerdon collected the ball on the left before playing it inside to Steve Colwell who saw his shot from the edge of the area saved easily by Smith.

As we approached the half hour mark Piorkowski twice orchestrated chances for the home side. Firstly he flicked the ball on to Duku who turned his marker but fired straight at Osborn and a couple of minutes later Piorkowski started a move that saw him find James Clark who fed Obi, the striker playing the ball side to Duku but again Osborn claimed his shot comfortably.

The visitors hardly troubled the United back line in the run up to the break with the best two openings both falling to United. Clark and Obi worked a shooting chance for Jake Sheppard but Osborn held his effort and with a couple of minutes left to the interval Obi exchanged passes with Duku before hitting a shot that curled wide of the far post and the first half ended goalless.

United were out of the blocks quickly at the start of the second half as Obi fed the ball to Piorkowski, he aimed for the far post but his effort was inches wide of the target.

Tivvy then went as close as anybody in the 51st minute as a cross from the right was inadvertently flicked on to Bastin, his reaction header looped up over Smith and thankfully for United the ball came back off the crossbar allowing the United defence to clear the danger.

Just before the hour mark Clark, Obi and Jack Williams combined in a smart move down the left side, the latter firing the ball low across the box but just too far in front of Duku who got a toe to the ball but poked it wide.

On 71 minutes Osborn made his best save of the game, Duku collected the ball in the Tivvy area, his shot on the turn being pushed away at full stretch by the visiting stopper and just a couple of minutes later a long Keano Robinson throw-in was allowed to bounce into the six yard box with Obi bravely diving to head the ball wide in front of a flying defenders boot.

The final ten minutes finally saw the table topping Devonians as a force going forwards. Pierce Mitchell fired just over the top from 20 yards after good approach work from substitute Tyler Elliott and just a minute later striker Alex Fletcher spurned a good chance as his curling effort flew wide of the far post after Smerdon had won possession in the United half.

With the clock about to hit 90, it was Smith's turn to pull of the save of the game as Mitchell cut in from the right and hit a dipping shot that looked to be heading into the top corner but for a flying tip over from United's number one.

Deep into stoppage time the final chance of the game almost saw United claim maximum points as substitute Hassan Jalloh, on his return from injury, broke free and raced into the Tivvy area only to be denied by Osborn who blocked his effort wide.

The game closing out scoreless with United keeping a second consecutive clean sheet but a little worrying in that this was a third consecutive home game without a goal, albeit an excellent point against the league leaders.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Ray Peploe.

United Man of the Match: Callum Buckley.

Print the Teamsheet: Here.

George Nancekivell