With confidence high after a brace of home wins, Mark Molesley’s side travelled to Dorset on Tuesday evening and duly “doubled” Poole Town with a 2-0 victory adding to the 5-3 home win early in the campaign. The gaffer made two changes to the starting XI that beat Hungerford at the SKYex on Tuesday with Will Salmon and Ferdinand Okoh coming in for Norman Wabo and Amos Nasha. An early break for the hosts saw Toby Holmes break down the left wing in the fourth minute, he played the ball in to Tony Lee but the normally deadly striker could only fire a weak shot straight into Jacob Adams’ grateful arms. Another chance for the Dolphins came in the 16th minute, Cameron Murray found Holmes in the United area, his shot on the turn was excellently blocked out for a corner by Will Salmon. The resultant corner kick ran deep to Harvey Slade whose cross back in appeared to catch the wind forcing Adams to tip it onto the bar before the ball was cleared away. Within a minute United could have been ahead as play quickly switched to the other end with Omar Rowe sending Ayo Faniyan through on goal, the United striker being denied by Dolphins stopper Lloyd Thomas who spread himself well to deflect the ball around the post. A long range Harry Hutchinson effort just before half hour had been played flew wide of the United goal and on 38 minutes a centre from the left picked out Wes Fogden who fired over from the edge of the box. The final half chance of the half fell to United as Faniyan set up Ronan Silva from 20 yards but his shot was easily held by Thomas and the half closed out with not a goal to trouble the scorers. After an even start to the second half with little of note, the deadlock was broken in the 57th minute. Faniyan was felled just outside the Dolphins area to the left side, substitute Mo Bettamer stepped up and fired his free-kick past the wall and seemingly straight through Thomas to give United the lead. Just five minutes later the home side had a great opportunity to get themselves level when a deep cross from the right to the back post picked out Poole skipper Jamie Whisken but he sliced his effort well wide of the United goal. Again within a minute an opening came at the other end as Bettamer broke away on the right, his well struck low centre just evading the sliding Faniyan as the ball flew across the six yard box untouched. The hosts came again looking to level things up, Holmes did well to hold the ball up before finding Murray just inside the box, his driven shot was just over United’s goal although Adams had it covered all the way. On 67 minutes United grabbed a second that really seemed to knock the stuffing out of the home side. Faniyan collected the ball on the left flank and having cut inside leaving more than a couple of defenders in his wake, the striker coolly fired past Thomas to double the visitors lead. With United’s defence now in pretty much full control of proceedings the home side were limited to high balls into the box that were comfortably dealt with and the only real chance to come in the final quarter of the game went the way of United on 85 minutes as Thomas fumbled Bettamer’s 18 yard shot but his defence was on hand to clear and the game closed out with a big 3 points coming home to Middlesex that sees United up to 14th in the table.
Report by Kevin Watts. United Man of the Match: Luke Gambin.