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Murphy did well to claim a header from Madine before the break as the first-half ended without either side troubling the scorers. The first goal of the game did come on 51 minutes when debutant Duffy, under heavy pressure from the North End strikers, headed the ball into his own net past Grant Carson to put the home side 1-0 up. United equalised quickly though five minutes later when Stephen Hindmarch broke away quickly to score an excellent individual goal from 20 yards out.
You got the feeling that it really wasn't going to be United's day though when in the last ten minutes Madine hit the post with a fierce drive and Andy Hardman had a shot cleared off the line by Preston defender Danny Finch. That feeling of knowing what was coming finally did come four minutes into injury time when North End grabbed an undeserved winner, a free-kick into the box from Nathan Fairhurst seeing Liam Maloney volley home into the back of the net to leave the Blues empty-handed in a game they should really have won.
United line-up:
Grant Carson, Matthew Brown, Ashley Combe, Matthew Blake, Matthew Duffy, Michael Dowson (Jonny Blake 78), Matthew Wood (Josh Newsham 88), Andy Hardman, Richie Hoban (Connor Tinnion 60), Stephen Hindmarch, Gary Madine.
Results in the division this morning :
Bury 2-1 Oldham
Chester 2-0 Shrewsbury
Macclesfield 4-0 Stockport
Port Vale 2-1 Tranmere
Preston 2-1 Carlisle
Rochdale 1-4 Burnley
Wigan 2-1 Blackpool
Walsall P-P Wrexham
Fixtures in the division next Saturday :
Wigan v Preston (Friday - 2.30pm)
Accrington Stanley v Blackpool
Port Vale v Bury
Rochdale v Oldham
Shrewsbury v Macclesfield
Walsall v Wrexham
Puma Youth Alliance Cup Northern Section Semi Finals
Grimsby v Chester
Stockport v Scunthorpe
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