Gainsborough Trinity were made to rue missed chances as Declan McLoughlin’s goal was the only difference between the sides as the encounter ended 1-0.
The hosts went into the game ten points behind fifth place Stockton Town with a game in hand, a win being crucial to any hopes of securing a playoff position at the end of April.
The Holy Blues were yet to lose a league game since February 1 and had the opportunity to make it ten games unbeaten if they avoided defeat against 12th place FC United.
They would however have to do it without their top goalscorer this season, striker Declan Howe as he was absent due to injury.
The visitors, FC United, had won three of their last five games and harboured the threat of former Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bolton Wanderers striker Adam Le Fodre who’s scored 14 goals already this season.
Nothing to split the two sides:
Just over 15 minutes into the game Dylan Cogill sloppily gave away a freekick just outside the area, Charlie Munro attempted a clever cross but it was headed away comfortably.
The first major opportunity to break the deadlock came in the 23rd minute as Javelle Clarke flicked on a header from a long ball, it wasn’t cleared by the defender who lashed at the ball and it presented Lewis Butroid with a golden opportunity but his effort rebounded off the post.
The visitors hit back with a chance of their own in the 29th minute, Charlie Munroe whipped in a corner from the right hand side to which Charlie Hayes-Green met with a powerful header which forced a reaction save by Dylan Wharton.
Gez Sithole tried to force the ball over the line but the goalkeeper recovered well to keep Gainsborough on level terms.
The deciding moment:
Trinity started the half brightly as Fraser Preston fizzed a cross into Clarke who played the ball off first time for Jordan Hallam but his effort ballooned over and out the stadium. The Reds went up the other end and threatened the Gainsborough goal, Sithole was played in behind but Will Lancaster kept up with him and bravely blocked the shot with a perfectly timed sliding tackle.
FC United opened the scoring in the 56th minute through Declan McLoughlin after an excellent passage of play from the visitors. The Gainsborough defence was split open and the move was finished by a clever pass into McLoughlin by Sithole, to which he applied a clinical finish to make it 0-1.
Much of the second passed Gainsborough by but in the 83rd minute Clarke got away on the counter after a corner was quickly cleared. He swerved a great delivery from the left hand side into substitute Curtis Durose who couldn’t keep the ball down as his first time volley flew over the bar.
The home side began to apply pressure in the final stages of the game, with just two minutes to go a long throw from Sisa Tuntulwana caused the visitors problems, the goalkeeper Conor O’Keefe, couldn’t keep hold of the ball but Butroid’s header flew agonisingly wide of the far post.
Just the one goal was the difference between the two sides as Gainsborough remained in ninth place in the Northern Premier Division, 11 points away from fifth place Aston United.