United moved into 2nd place with a hard earned victory over leaders Curzon Ashton.
Skem opened up the scoring in the 9th minute when Georgie Donnelly fired home Anthony Murt’s back header. The Curzon defence was caught almost static as they anticipated an offside decision, but Donnelly carried on and sent the keeper diving the wrong way.
The lead was short lived as Michael Norton headed home at the far post in the 12th minute, but the referee failed to see a push on Michael White which had it not taken place would’ve seen the big centre half clear the ball.
Having just increased his seasons tally to 30, Norton was keen to carry on the good form, and in the 21st minute he headed high and wide from a similar position.
Edward Stanford’s shot from 20-yards out sneaked through United’s defence in the 31st minute, and dipped sharply, forcing McMahon to spill the ball, but fortunately the defence mopped up the danger.
Kevin Leadbetter came close minutes later when he took receipt of a quick throw, but his shot swerved the wrong way around the post.
Leadbetter turned provider in the early stages of the second half as he splayed a sweet cross field ball to McConville, but his eventual shot was hurried and went wide when it should’ve really hit the target.
United snatched the lead back in the 53rd minute. Georgie Donnelly took receipt of a poor back pass, which left him one-on-one with the keeper, but just as his shot appeared to be sneaking into the bottom right hand corner of the net, Carnell did a Schmeichel; spreading his body and diverting the ball with his outstretched legs. The ball came to McConville who steered the ball to Anthony Murt at the far post who took a touch to control the ball before smashing it into the back of the net.
Anthony Murt came close to doubling his tally when he took receipt of McConville’s cross, but the shot went wide when he failed to get a good contact.
Donnelly’s ball wide to Anthony Murt took the Curzon defence by surprise, but unselfishly Murt squared the ball to Kevin Leadbetter, but alas his shot dipped late until it eventually landed on the roof of the net.
Murt played a similar ball to Aaron Turner who saw his rasping 20-yarder deflected over the crossbar, which had it gone in would’ve ripped a hole in the net.
A few anxious moments followed in the closing stages, but the best chance fell to Chris Ball but he fired directly into McMahon’s hands much to the satisfaction of United’s huge contingent of travelling supporters.
It wasn’t pretty game to watch, indeed it was a fight between two teams at the top of their game, but United edged the contest in terms of commitment, and hence Curzon’s lead was reduced to just 2 points, leaving Manager, Tommy Lawson ecstatic.
“Curzon put up a good fight in the first half and tried to throw everything at us, but we absorbed the pressure and in the second half we didn’t give them a second on the ball.
“It was a scrap at times, but that happens when the stakes are so high. However, we won that fight because we wanted it more than they did.”
M.O.M. STEVE AKRIGG.
A faultless performance from the young centre half.