Stockton Town picked up their 10th win of the 2024/25 league campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over FC United of Manchester.
Adam Nicholson headed home the only goal of the game deep into first-half injury time which proved crucial to the Anchors taking all three points.
Michael Dunwell named one change to the starting squad that knocked Scarborough Athletic out of the FA Trophy last week, with Mikey Roberts taking the place of the unavailable Michael Sweet.
Strong winds troubled the opening stages of the game, which in turn led to a slow start for both sides.
Glen Butterworth had the best chance of the opening third of the game after some magic by Mikey Roberts fell to the midfielders feet but he didn’t get enough behind his curled effort and it was easily gathered by Conor O’Keefe.
Stephen Thompson tried his luck from distance on a half-volley but it got caught in the strong winds and flew high over the crossbar.
But as the game entered five minutes of added time at the end of the first half, Kevin Hayes floated an inch-perfect cross onto the head of Adam Nicholson who placed his header into the bottom corner of the target.
Half-time: Stockton Town 1-0 FC United of Manchester
The second half started similarly to that of the first, both sides keeping each other at bay, with the Anchors defending strong to protect their advantage.
An attempted headed clearance from a white shirt went vertically into the air, landing awkwardly near Michael Fowler whose volley was sliced into the gloves of the goalkeeper from a tight angle.
Kevin Hayes nearly added a second in the 86th minute in typical Kev Hayes fashion, as he cut inside from the right-wing and drilled a strike towards goal, but his effort was met by a superb fingertip save by O’Keefe.
As the game edged closer to its closure, the visitors had a massive chance to equalise as Paul Ennis found a way in-behind the Stockton backline, but his one-on-one attempt was met by a fantastic stop by Nathan Harker to secure all three points.
Full-time: Stockton Town 1-0 FC United of Manchester
Stockton now sit pretty in fourth place, with 31 points to their name ahead of next week’s trip to third placed Worksop Town.
Stockton Town: Harker, King, Baggs, Painter, Nicholson, Coulthard, Hayes, Butterworth, Fowler (Gallacher 79’), Thompson (Leech 67’), Roberts (Scott 59’)
Unused Subs: Johnson, Stephenson
FC United of Manchester: O’Keefe, Ferguson (Fitzmartin 46’), Hall, Munro, Palinkas, Evans, Sithole, McLoughlin (Ennis 75’), Le Fondre, Buckley (Preston 71’), Grivosti
Unused Subs: Lindley, Henstock
Goals: Nicholson, 1-0, 45+3 min.
Attendance: 831
