The heavens opening in western Manchester around thirty minutes before kick-off certainly had a bearing on what the opening exchanges at The Project Solar Stadium would involve on Tuesday night.

There were few chances falling for either team as we approached the quarter of an hour mark. One chance that was not worth more than a mention was FC United’s defence being split open at the tenth minute mark only resulting in Eddie Brown smacking a shot onto the roof of the Walker Lane stand from twelve yards out.

Hyde United hit the woodwork for the second consecutive game after Roscoe misses has a chance that reverberates off the bar after missing from close range, soon after.

The Ugandan international, on loan from Huddersfield, impressed in the first twenty minutes when he was forced into a smart stop with his left foot after FC United registered their first shot on target.

The next few minutes were constant spells of FC United knocking on the host’s door and Gio Bellagambi was down again making a couple more important saves down to his right-hand side.

The Tigers were chasing that goal that will break the deadlock in this much anticipated Manchester derby and come close again with the hosts smashing the woodwork for the second time in the same half of football.

There was only so long that FC United would be able to withstand the constant pressure from Nick Spooner’s side without conceding though as proven in the fortieth minute of the game.

Javid Neavin took matters into his own hands, despite never scoring for The Tigers before, he is slotted through by  Adam Dawson and is given the chance to break the deadlock his first shot was blocked on the line but leathered a shot into the top corner after the block deflected back to his feet and breaks the deadlock just before half time.

The 26nil commentary team asked Javid post-match whether the goal had taken the deflection and he was adamant that the goal was his and was on target anyways.

Hyde United had a chance to make it two and the home press box could not quite believe how that chance had gone begging as Eddie Brown has another chance on goal that was scrambled away desperately from the six-yard-box by the visitors.

HALF TIME

The teams reappear for the second half and the early exchanges are tense and the speed that the ball is being moved has reduced quite significantly. There was a feeling around the ground that the one goal would do it against FC United because of the lack of fizz that they had in the final third.

The Tigers had two penalty appeals early in the second half with one resulting in Adam Dawson being warned about simulation and the other where Eddie Brown was offered the same amount of sympathy from Referee Mitchell.

The shed end goes ballistic and the referee receives a pile of stick from the home supporters after waving away both appeals.

The closing stages bring chance after chance for FC United to grab the equalizer but the visitors do not have the ability to finish and the rest of their opportunities go begging for Neil Reynold’s team and the travelling supporters in their hundreds.

FULL TIME

Hyde United won the game by just one goal to nil, courtesy of Javid Neavin scoring his first goal for The Tigers. On another night, the hosts could have had four.

The supporters were satisfied though as ‘ We’ve got super Nicky Spooner ‘ rang round the stands at full time.