Dunston UTS (Away): Northern League Division 1: Tuesday 31st January 2012

Result: Dunston UTS 5  Marske United 1   Scorers: Marron

Despite failing to get out of second gear all match, Dunston still proved to be way too much of an opposition for mid-table Marske United at the UTS Stadium on Tuesday night.

Dunston made two changes from the side that saw off Wisbech Town in their fourth round FA Vase replay three days earlier;  Danny Craggs came in for the unavailable Steven Goddard in midfield, whilst Steve Pickering replaced the injured Michael Robson in defence.  Marske made just the one change from their side that lost to Spennymoor, former Dunston striker Benn Thompson replacing Chris McGill up front, with Anthony Ormerod switching to the right hand side of midfield.

The home side took the lead after just four minutes, and just like Marske’s last match against Spennymoor, scored from a corner.  Only Dunston attacked the in-swinging flag kick and Chris Swailes headed in unchallenged from five yards.

Dunston had a couple of half-chances cleared off the line in the early stages of the game as Marske looked incapable of dealing with crosses, yet they twice threatened on the break courtesy of Karl Charlton but failed to test Liam Connell in the final third.

Dunston doubled their lead with a fine goal on 18 minutes.  Lee McAndrew delivered a fantastic dipping cross into the box from the right wing that Graeme Willey punched clear under pressure.  But the keeper must have wished that he’d tried to catch it as Craggs caught his clearance on the volley and smashed the ball straight back over him into the top right hand corner from the edge of the box.

A minute later Tommy Marron pulled a goal back straight from a corner after Benn Thompson and Charlton combined well to win a corner straight from the restart.

UTS re-established their two goal lead just seven minutes later when they scored again from another good cross.  Willey attempted to palm Michael Dixon’s left wing cross over the bar, but failed to get enough hand on the ball and left Craggs with an easy nod in from two yards out.

Only God knows how Dunston failed to make it 4-1 on 28 minutes as several attempts by Craggs, Dixon and Bulford in the same move, were cleared off the line by a panicked United defence.

Marske then enjoyed a decent ten minute spell in which they spent plenty of possession within the Dunston half, but with half-time looming the home side broke away quickly to win a corner, and guess what, they scored from it as Dixon headed in unchallenged at the far post.

Half-time:  Dunston UTS 4 v 1 Marske United

United made a much better start to begin with in the second half, but after Marron gave the ball away cheaply on 54 minutes, they were almost undone on the break as Dunston found themselves two-on-one.  Craggs could have passed the ball across in front of Willey to create a certain goal for Bulford, but instead went in search of his hat trick and fired wide of the goal.

30 seconds later McAndrew broke clear of the Marske defence on the left hand side and cut into the box towards goal, but slid the ball wide of both Willey and the far post.

Dunston took their foot off the gas until the final ten minutes of the game, when their substitutes began to up the tempo once more.

In the81st minute a great through ball from the right was taken perfectly by Bulford who got between Leon Carling and Mark Taylor to create a scoring opportunity, but rolled his shot inches wide of the far post.

Bulford was not to be denied though, and with a minute remaining Taylor’s slip allowed him through on goal and he slipped the ball beyond Willey to become Dunston’s all-time leading goal scorer.

Full-time:  Dunston UTS 5 v 1 Marske United

Having managed to consolidate their position amongst the division’s midtable sides, the gulf between the top six teams and the rest of the league is still obviously apparent to Marske who have now conceded 11 goals to Dunston this season in just two games.

Dunston UTS:  Connell, Pickering, Galbraith, Cattanach, Swailes, Herron (Burns), Craggs, Shaw, Dixon (Hume), Bulford, McAndrew (Brooking).

Not Used:  Carmichael, Preen.

Marske United:  Willey, Donachie (J.Burton), Wheatley, Marron, Carling, Taylor, Ormerod (Bradley), Gell, Brunskill, Thompson (McGill), Charlton.  Not Used:  Roberts, Raw.