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Newton Heath v Failsworth Dynamos

1.30pm  31 January 2015

Manchester Amateur Cup, Third Round
Newton Heath 1 Failsworth Dynamos 2 (att 45)

This wasn't the game I expected to be watching, but the weather wiped out games in West Yorkshire, including one on a 3G pitch that I'd thought was a safe bet, so instead I head to my second artificial pitch of the day in Manchester.

Newton Heath play at the East Manchester Academy. Ironically, given the connections between the name Newton Heath and Manchester United, the Academy is barely a stone's throw from Manchester City's Etihad Stadium.

I'd been to the East Manchester Academy before, to see a game on grass, but Newton Heath use the school's enclosed and floodlit 3G ground for home games.

Failsworth went into this tie as slight favourites. They're effectively a division higher, in the Premier Division of the Lancashire Amateur League against Newton Heath's Division One of the Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League.

What might have been a good contest was effectively over early on. Failsworth went ahead, and were denied a second goal by a brilliant one-handed save which turned a goal-bound shot around the post. Unfortunately for Newton Heath, the save was by a defender, and resulted in a penalty and a red card.

The penalty was saved, but Failsworth reacted quicker to the rebound, and a 2-0 first half lead against 10 men put them well in command. The home side did pull a goal back about 15 minutes from the end to set up a good finish, but it proved to be just a consolation.










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