FC United of Manchester 1 Chesterfield 4: League One visitors avoid FA Cup upset

Chesterfield successfully avoided an FA Cup upset at Broadhurst Park on Monday, seeing off non-League FC United of Manchester 4-1 to reach the second round.

A second-round clash with Walsall awaits after Dean Saunders’ side coasted past their sixth-tier opponents – both Gboly Ariyibi and Lee Novak scored 12 minutes into a first half that saw some home fans protest at the game being televised.

Sections of the FC United support, whose club was formed as a way of protesting at the commercialisation of Premier League giants Manchester United, skipped the opening 45 minutes but saw Chesterfield’s dominance continue in the second period.

Substitutes Ollie Banks and Rai Simons were on target prior to Luke Ashworth’s late consolation for the home side.

Chesterfield led after just seven minutes. Sylvain Ebanks-Blake outmuscled Chris Lynch down the left and saw his effort saved by David Carnell, deflecting into the path of Ariyibi, who finished emphatically.

The tie looked as good as over just five minutes later as Novak neatly converted Dan Jones’ left-wing cross with the outside of his right boot.

Richard Wood was forced into a dangerous clearance with Tom Greaves waiting as FC United began the second half strongly, albeit while failing to find a way back into the tie.

Former FC United midfielder Banks and Bermudan forward Simons were introduced off the bench and the pair made the most of their run-outs with a goal apiece within 20 second-half minutes.

Ashworth gained the part-timers a consolation goal from a corner in stoppage time but the 1997 semi-finalists negotiated a potentially tricky test with relative ease.