Jan - Feb
January
The first game of 2017 saw United to Sheffield to play Roma United in the Doncaster FA Challenge Cup, a team made up of migrants to the UK and who rather strangely play in the Doncaster Senior League. It started so well for the Reds as they raced into a 4-0 lead after only 30 minutes with a brace apiece for Aiden Oakley and Steve Ellor but then it started to go down hill with the Roma side getting 2 goals back with a couple of speculative strikes after a couple of missed tackles. Looking nervy United conceded a 3rd before Jack Whittaker put daylight in the score line to give United a 5-3 win.

The first league game of 2017 saw United lose 4-1 at Frecheville but the following game saw the second Denaby derby of the season with Denaby Main coming to Balby Carr. This proved to be United’s best result of the season as they beat the men from Tickhill Square 5-2 with a treble for Steve Ellor (and he might have had 6 or 7) and one each for Jack Whittaker and Ashley Agar in a performance that should have seen 10 or 12 United goals but for missed chances, such was the Reds dominance. January ended with another fine performance but ultimately no reward as they lost 3-2 at Wombell Main. Leading 2-0 and having missed a couple of other very good chances United conceded with 10 minutes left and set up a nervy ending before shipping another 2 goals in stoppage time to somehow lose the game 3-2 leaving everyone scratching their heads wondering how they didn’t get the 3 points.

February
Doncaster FA Challenge Cup action beckoned again as February came with another tie against opposition from the Doncaster Senior League in Dunscroft United, a lacklustre Reds performance saw them trail 1-0 before coming back to lead 3-1 with 2 for Ellor and 1 for Whittaker however after Dunscroft scored 2 to make the tie level late goals from Ellor and Whittaker got United progression to the quarter finals. Having crashed 5-1 to Athersley Rec Res on the opening day of the season United went to Barnsley for their next game in the return fixture, goals from Sam Hutton and Steve Ellor might have earned United the points in another good performance but a cruel deflected goal late on gave Athersley a share of the spoils. League leaders Swallownest were next and United opened well but 3 goals in a 2 minute spell either side of half time put paid to any chance United had of getting something from the game as they lost 5-1 with, who else, but Steve Ellor getting on the score sheet for his 26th of the season.

Season Review Part 4 to follow