FNK went into the new season with quiet confidence, after a pre season which has had positive performances but not the correct results, and were minutes away from taking three points from a Middleton team making their debut in the league.
Manager Steve Batten gave competitive debuts to new signings Carl Drinkwater and Harry Spawton in defence to slot along side Turner and B.West, with A.Owens retaining his number one spot between the sticks. Fellow new signing Sam 'Milky' Griffiths, was in a midfield trio with the ever dependable captain Noller and Hooper, with a front three of Weller, E.Owens and the last but no means least of the New signings making their debut, striker George Spawton, in a 4-3-3/4-5-1 formation.
Fnk started well, with great pressure without the ball, with chances few and far between in the first ten minutes Middleton looked to play the ball over the top to try and expose any pace advantage they may have and on the quarter hour mark, Middleton made the breakthrough. Another ball over the top on the right hand side, the Middleton striker, knocked the ball round the onrushing keeper, and slotted into the net. United didn't let their heads drop and started creating chances of their own and were level with a well placed strike from Milky who picked the ball up after some good pressure on the edge of the Middleton box, with his back to goal managed to turn, get half a yard and placed the ball into the bottom left hand corner. A Noller freekick near the left touchline level with the box, was dangerously floated towards the back post, with no United player able to make a connection.
At the start of the second half, May replaced Weller, and linked up well with G.Spawton, but it was that man noller, carrying on from last season with his assists, played a lovely ball down the right channel, with G.Spawton latching on to the ball, one touch to compose himself in the box and fired past the keeper to put United in the lead for the first time in the match. G.Spawton had a great chance to grab a second when May sent over an exquisite cross from the left, G.Spawton had his back to goal in the center of the box, turned and placed his shot just wide. Later he admitted that he should have squared the ball to the unmarked and onrushing Noller, and with United starting to sit deep, Middleton drew level, with a shot saved by A.Owens went only as far as their Midfielder making a late run six yards out, had a free header to make it two all.
Again United took the fight to the opposition, and got their rewards, Noller floated in a delicious cross to the far post which the Middleton keeper could only parry and Milky was there to tap in his second of the match. He looked to have saved United at the other end with two goal line clearences in the space of twenty seconds, and United looked certain to wrap up the points when D.Batten burst into the box only for an excellent last ditch tackle stopping him from converting a certain well worked goal. Unfortunatley lady luck was not on Uniteds side, and with just over a minute remaining, a cross from the left made its way threw too the same player who grabbed their second and he took a touch and rifled a shot into the top left corner, to leave the United players devastated. Overall the draw was probably a fair result, and it's a point on the board, plenty of positives for the team and manager to take from this game. Roll on next sunday where FNK take on Avisford away.
