Date: Saturday 17th March, 2007
Competition: Nationwide Conference
Referee: Mr.S. Creighton
Att: 1,177 (away 166)
Weather at kick-off: cloudy

Jimmy Quinn made six changes to the side beaten 5-0 at home to York on Tuesday night. In came Paul Crichton (recalled from King's Lynn), Dan Gleeson (returning to United on loan from Notts County), Chris Flynn (on loan from Crewe), Mark Peters, David Bridges and Rob Wolleaston, while out went Shane Herbert, Aidan Collins, Sam Page (recalled to MK Dons), Jon Brady, Stephen Smith and Christian Smith.

The resulting formation was a strong back three of Peters, Duncan and Morrison, with Gleeson and Flynn in the wing back roles, Brown, Bridges and Wolleaston in midfield, and Chillingworth and Simpson up front.

Crawley manager John Yems made two changes to the side that lost 3-2 at Weymouth, recalling former U Lee Blackburn and striker Elliott Benyon in place of Scott Hiley and another former U, Marcus Richardson. The home side also included a third former United man in winger Tony Scully.

United made a positive start and looked lively in the opening exchanges, forcing a third minute corner when Blackburn was forced to hack the ball out of the ground. The closely-marshalled Robbie Simpson was unable to turn onto Wolleaston's corner but United kept possession and Ben Hamer had to tip David Bridges' follow-up shot against the post.

Elliott Benyon broke away a minute later, forcing Mark Peters into a desperate challenge that sent the striker sprawling in the area but Mr Creighton waved play on, and the U's escaped another scare soon afterwards when Benyon's shot deflected off Morrison but was smothered by Paul Crichton.

The new wing-backs, Dan Gleeson and Chris Flynn, got some early touches and looked comfortable in their roles while David Bridges was lively and alert and threatened again on 13 when he advanced and drove a 20-yarder that bounced in front of Hamer and was collected by the Crawley keeper.

United continued to threaten and Simpson broke away down the right in the 16th minute with Chillingworth in support, but his shot from outside the area was underpowered and easy for Hamer.

Chances followed at both ends, Brown having a 24th minute corner plucked from the air by Hamer and Robbie Simpson wrestled to the ground at another United corner four minutes later, while Okuonghae headed the ball down for Benyon on the half hour but the ball was hacked away at close-range by former Crawley skipper Danny Brown.

Simpson and Chillingworth were, as ever, full of running and linked well, with Simpson enjoying a number of chances, and on 35 his header from Gleeson's good cross drew a save from Hamer while Bull fired wide at the other end a minute later.

Andy Duncan pulled up with a problem in the 38th minute and had to leave the pitch but he resumed after treatment, and three minutes later United's much-improved performance was rewarded with a goal.

Rob Wolleaston released Robbie Simpson with an excellent through ball and the striker advanced into the area and rounded Hamer before giving United a deserved lead with his ninth goal of the season.

The towering young striker was close again before half-time when he met Brown's free kick and headed not far wide, and United's defence stood firm against two Crawley stoppage time corners.

Half-time summary by match commentator Mark Johnson:
"A very satisfactory half for United that ticked all the boxes. First to everything, more positive going forward, solid in defence and a vital goal to boot. It's a deserved lead - more of the same please."

Second half:
Both sides emerged unchanged for the second half and the travelling fans greeted comeback man Paul Crichton with applause as he took up his position in the goalmouth at that end, in his first appearance since exchanging angry words with fans at Rushden in January.

United started strongly again, with Peters and Duncan solid in defence and Brown battling hard in the middle, and Wolleaston sent a first time shot narrowly wide from ten yards outside the area while Bridges headed another Gleeson cross over on 52.

Crawley boss Yems made the first change on 54 by sending on Marcus Richardson for midfielder Darius Charles with striker Rendell moving to the wide left. The home side began to exert more pressure and two minute after the change a Crawley header was blocked at close-range by Andy Duncan who then also blocked the follow-up from a semi-prone position on the ground.

Paul Crichton then contributed two important saves, first punching away Evans' 62nd minute corner then denying former United man Richardson when he met a cross a minute later with time to pick his spot, producing a great save at the near post.

United were coming under increasing pressure and a 65th minute Crawley corner bounced off a group of players and flew wide for another corner, which was headed away by Simpson, and the United goal led a charmed life as within a minute another Scully cross rolled across the goal line but Richardson was unable to turn it over the line.

Further chances at both ends saw a Simpson shot blocked following more good interplay between the United front two, and a Richardson header caught by Crichton. On 73 Duncan, still struggling with his first half injury, was replaced by Jon Brady as Jimmy Quinn switched the formation to a 4-4-2 with Bridges on the wide right and Brady on the left, and moments later Simpson buried a shot on the turn into the keeper's chest.

Further substitutions came on 79 when Wayne Purser replaced Chillingworth, who had shaken off a first half knock to run himself into the ground and left the pitch to warm applause from the away fans, while for the home side Hassan Sulaiman replaced Bulman.

In the 84th minute Benyon went close with an overhead kick that flew inches wide of the post and into the sidenetting with Crichton diving at full stretch, and the only booking of the game followed within a minute when Purser was caught offside. As he took his time to retreat back down the pitch, Hamer kicked the free kick straight at Purser, giving him no chance to get out of the way, and the U's striker was harshly booked for not retreating.

Moments later he led a United breakaway, but as he checked his stride while weighing up his options Blackburn nipped in to win possession. The Crawley man was withdrawn on 87 to be replaced by Scott Marshall and moments later Sulaiman crossed for Rendell but Paul Crichton made another superb save to tip the ball behind, and then excelled again by clawing the corner away as United fans watched with their hearts in their mouths.

Mark Peters had been a rock at the heart of the defence in his first appearance since overcoming a chest infection but he was exhausted and made way in the 89th minute for the younger legs of Aidan Collins. It was a decision that would be analysed at length by U's fans afterwards because, as five minutes of stoppage time was indicated, two former U's linked up to cruel effect to steal two points; Tony Scully crossing and Marcus Richardson rising at the far post to place a downward header that bounced under the diving Crichton to give the big striker his first goal for Crawley.

It was a cruel, cruel blow for United, who had battled so hard and were so close to those three valuable points, but it could still have been worse when Crichton had to save smartly at Benyon's feet. Even deeper into stoppage time, Simpson raced onto Brown's ball over top but was forced wide by Sulaiman, and moments later the striker met another ball into the area but his shot on the turn was wide.

Wrapped up by match commentator Mark Johnson:
"The curse of the former player struck when Marcus Richardson's stoppage time equaliser denied the U's a vital victory. Jimmy Quinn made six changes, bringing in a wealth of experience, and it worked. United were excellent in the first half with Duncan, Peters and Morrison imperious in defence while Simpson and Chillingworth ran their proverbial socks off up front, and Simpson got his reward with a well-taken goal four minutes before the break. Crawley then took an increasingly aerial route after the interval and United rode their luck, Paul Crichton making a string of saves, but the storm seemed to have been weathered until Richardson popped up in the first of five added minutes. Heartbreak for the U's, but so much better than the debacle of the previous two games."

Man of the Match:
"Andy Duncan - answered a lot of critics with a much-improved performance. Honourable mentions for Mark Peters who experience steadied the ship, Dan Gleeson who looked as though he has never been away, while Chilli and Robbie Simpson ran their socks off again."

Referee:
"Mr Creighton - generally ok, although he looked as though he wouldn't have given a penalty if a player's head had been ripped off in the area. As this worked more in our favour than Crawley's, he can have 6/10!"

[League table]

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