Adam Tiffen reports as Marine cruised to a 3-0 victory over FC United of Manchester…
Sol Solomon got himself on the scoresheet twice with a goal in each half, both from tight angles. Joe Hardy also scored a goal on his debut with a simple front-post header which was set up by Kyle Hayde.
Marine took the lead in the sixth minute thanks to top scorer Solomon. He danced past Alex Wollerton on the left wing, and then managed to slip between the right back and another FC United player. He got into the box and shot from a tight angle and the bottom-left corner bulged.
The best chance of the game for the visitors fell to Max Cane in the 38th minute. He was played in for a one-on-one and should have scored but he dragged the effort wide.
Not long before half time both goalkeepers were involved in some near-blunders. Debutant Hardy way overhit his cross, but Dimeji Willan chased it all the way out to the side-line to try and shepherd it out of play. Ben Hodkinson gave chase and managed to win a throw-in off the keeper. The Mariners couldn’t capitalise on the keeper being out of his box.
Minutes after, Bayleigh Passant tried to take a looping cross at his chest. Dontai Gabidon got up well to challenge him and Passant spilled the ball. Thankfully for the Marine keeper Gabidon wasn’t aware that the ball was just behind him.
The Crosby side started the second half well with two half chances. Hardy played Hodkinson in behind but the linesman felt he was just offside. Then, a minute later, Solomon got into the left-hand side of the box, much like the first half. However, his shot was a weak one and was easy for Willan to save.
Just before two thirds of the game had passed, Hardy doubled the Mariners’ lead. It all started with Charley Doyle who did really well to win and retain the ball on the right wing. He passed to Lucas Weir who then released Hodkinson. The winger tried a cross, which was blocked, and then Hayde whipped it in. The ball found the head of the number nine at the front post for his first goal for the club.
After getting the two-goal lead the home team looked to counter. They did so after an unsuccessful FC United corner was cleared up to their goal-scoring number 10. He played a square pass to Weir who faced up the keeper but couldn’t convert his chance.
The Jerseyman would make sure the score was 3-0 not long after though. He was played in by a beautifully weighted ball. He took it round the keeper and managed to finish from a miniscule angle in the 77th minute.
The result means that Marine are 7th in the league, just three points off the playoff places.
Their next game is a 7:45pm kick-off, away against Gainsborough Trinity on Tuesday 21st March.
Marine: Passant, Hayde, Bunney, Lussey (Howarth 57’), Wardle, Johnson, Hodkinson (Solomon-Davies 68’), Doyle, Hardy (Smith 63’), Solomon, Weir
Unused subs: Mendes, Clark
FC United of Manchester: Willan, Wollerton, Hall, Ennis (Da Costa 67’), Dodd, Jones, Gabbidon, Potts, Cane (Hartley, 67’), Vincent, Barugh (Vaughan, 67’)
Unused subs: Rose, Ndiaye
Attendance: 1707
