TIMID FIRST HALF LEADS TO DEFEAT

After producing a battling display at Loughborough and showing great signs of improvement in the last four weeks the Whites slipped back to bad habits in the first half in this game.

With arguably the youngest side for some years taking the field, the Whites were hoping to continue recent improvement but by half time we looked like boys against men.

With an average age of 22 the side was full of energy but our brand of "fantasy football" was no match for Market Drayton's simpler much more positive style in the first half.

Terry Fleming left out himself, Sam Wilkinson, Phil McGann and still had Stuart Reddington suspended and he learned quite a lot against a very lively Market Drayton side.

Just like Saturday at Loughborough we concede two goals in as many minutes early in the first half.

We did have a couple of chances early on when Tom Garrick's indecision saw him shoot tamely and a second one he blazed wide.

In truth United were losing the midfield battle, playing too slow and looking as if Market Drayton's tactic of closing down quickly was too much for us.

Twenty minutes at the start of the second saw a reaction and a goal back through George Zuerner's neat header lifted spirits. Jake Gibson and Jack McGovern might have levelled before Market Drayton broke the length of the pitch to secure the points and added a superb goal before the end.