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| Jay O'Shea holds off the challenge of Rory Fallon |
IN the end, the quality of the football came up a little short. There was no lack of effort from the hosts but the superior skills and speed of Chesterfield’s League One players saw them comfortably overwhelm FC United.
But if the match had been decided on the quality of the passion in the protest, there would be only one team in it.
In fact, forget just tackling Walsall in the second round, this lot would be marching on to Wembley.
FC United is a club founded on protest and anger, and a hatred of the Glazer’s vision of Manchester United. And a decade on it is clear that satisfying their revolutionary spirit shows no sign of dying.
There were chants at Malcolm Glazer; persistent, indelicate but firm instructions for BT; banners about the FA leaving no scope for misinterpretation, protests outside the ground and more inside.
Halfway through a first half in which they were trailing 2-0, there were even taunts from the vocal majority on the terrace lambasting the Main Stand for failing to add their voice.
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| FC United protest against the fixture being rescheduled before the game |
The focus for the ire of the locals was principally the scheduling of this match as a live broadcast on Monday night – something which goes against the grain of why this club was formed in the first place, namely the sanctity of the three o’clock Saturday kick-off for starters.
That and not being told what to do by anyone, ever.
Smaller battles have been won like the £9 ticket price when the FA rules urge them to charge £10 and in manager Karl Marginson refusing BT’s request to place a camera in the home dressing room. With Chesterfield looking down from 78 places above them the size of the task was significant – especially with FC United having lost six straight in National League North.
Marginson had suggested the pressure of performing in their new home – the redevelopment here at Broadhurst Park cost £6.3million and was opened in May – has affected his players.
The distraction of the Cup would help. If it did it was for only seven minutes before FC United went behind, shredded by the electric pace of Sylvain Ebanks-Blake who skinned Chris Lynch on the left flank with a searing burst and pull-back for Gboly Ariyibi.
Things got worse soon after when Chesterfield doubled their lead after 12 minutes. This time it was Jay O’Shea who sprung Dan Jones down the left flank, who whipped a cross to the near post for Lee Novak to score.
Going two-nil down did nothing to stem the volume from the terrace at the St Mary’s Road End with an endless chant to “Bring On United” echoing impressively through the break – the 200 or so extra protesters finally coming in from outside.
But Chesterfield put the result beyond doubt after 68 minutes, Rai Simon’s latching on to a through pass from Sam Morsy and slipping the ball under goalkeeper David Carnell.
Ollie Banks added a fourth with the crowd barely skipping a beat in their instructions to the FA.
But in the 90th minute a late consolation header from Luke Ashworth was exactly what they deserved.
Here there were corporate giants – even ones who had paid £67,500 for the privilege – to be baited live on their own broadcast. Passionate and admirable and free to concentrate on the league.
FC United (4-5-1): Carnell; Brownhill, Stott, Lynch, Wright; Fallon (Daniels 46), Thurston, Sheridan, Ashworth, Lindfield (Patterson 46); Greaves. Goal: Ashworth 90.
Chesterfield (4-4-2): Lee; Talbot, Evatt, Wood, Jones; Ariyibi, Morsy (Raglan 72), Herd (Banks 55), O’Shea; Ebanks-Blake (Simons 56), Novak. Goals: Ariyibi 7, Novak 12, Simons 68, Banks 87.
Referee: O Langford (W Midlands).
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