FC United of Manchester were eliminated from Isuzu FA Trophy after a defeat to Halifax Town 4-0, writes Jovan Radjawane.
Halifax Town hosted FC United of Manchester at the Shay Stadium to determine who would advance to the fourth round of Isuzu FA Trophy. The odds were staked against the away team, as FC United faced the side who is currently competing in the higher league. Due to a congested schedule in December, Mark Beesley (FC United’s manager) made four changes to avoid any player fatigue. Charlie Ennis, Adam Le Fondre and Jordan Buckley were benched, while Ajay Weston was left out of the matchday squad.
Despite facing a stronger opponent,1507 spectators gathered at the Shay Stadium, almost half of them were supporting the visitors. FC United put up a good fight in the first-half, as both teams were still goalless. One of the highlights in the first-half was Jay Fitzmartin’s free-kick, which was mentioned by both clubs on X.
Things didn’t go well for FC United in the second-half. Less than five minutes after the break, Josh Hmami netted the ball. Halifax Town briefly led the match with one goal. In short minutes, The Shaymen doubled their lead through the same goalscorer in the 56th minute.
FC United did try their best to find a way back into the game. In addition to registering some shots on target, Beesley subbed in two experienced forwards, Le Fondre and Buckley. However, FC United remained scoreless because Sam Johnson did his part as Halifax Town’s wall.
The Shaymen scored another two goals. In the 79th minutes, Will Harris made it three. Nine minutes after Harris’s goal, the referee awarded Halifax Town a penalty. Hmami took the role as the shooter and converted the penalty. The 25-year-old midfielder completed a hat-trick against his former club.
FC United were eliminated from the Isuzu FA Trophy with 4-0 defeat. Beesley admitted that he was disappointed with the result, but he acknowledged that the home team had more quality. Beesley also noted that the opponent were able to do well in the vital minute, which the first fifteen-minute of the second-half. Despite the elimination, he praised the team for giving their best and FC United’s supporters for being supportive in the stadium.
As usual, FC United posted their result along with the number of attendance on social media. This time, the club made a change. As a way of showing respect for fans who had travelled to cheer for the team, FC United wrote the number of away fans after the overall attendance figure.
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