⚽ FA TROPHY SECOND ROUND

FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER 🆚 DARLINGTON

📅 Saturday, November 15^th, 3 pm

🏟️ Broadhurst Park

🎟  https://app.fanbaseclub.com/Fan/Tickets/SelectType?fixtureId=15851

🔥 Match Preview

Darlo enter the second round of the FA Trophy, where they look to carry on their recent good form when they travel to FC United of Manchester.

The Quakers have registered their first back-to-back wins in the last two games with great performances against Worksop with a 5-1 win with five different goal scorers, and most recently a 2-1 win against potential title challengers Kidderminster Harriers, where a 91st-minute goal from Matty Cornish won the game.

Darlo have previous success in the FA Trophy with that 2011 final win, when Chris Senior’s 120^th minute header found the back of the net and became one of the greatest days in the history of the club. They also reached the quarter finals four years ago, losing to Hornchurch in the quarter final.

Darlington’s opponents, FC United of Manchester, are a team Darlo have met many times and are doing well in the NPL Premier Division.

The Reds come into this game after a 3-0 loss to recently relegated Warrington Town, but in the previous round of the FA Trophy, they faced Bamber Bridge, who are in the same league as them and won the game thanks to a 90th-minute winner from their top goal scorer and former Premier League striker Adam Le Fondre.

In the NPL Premier Division this season, FC United have started strong and, after 15 games played, are third in the league with 29 points. At Broadhurst Park, The Reds have won 6 of their eight games and scored 13 goals and have only conceded three goals.

The last time the two clubs met was 6th of April in 2019, whegon als from Omar Holness and Stephen Thompson were enough for the Quakers to win the points, and the last time they travelled to Broadhurst Park, a brace from Harvey Saunders meant Darlo walked away with all three points.

📰 Team News

Alfie Myers-Smith is out for at least a fortnight.

Will Hatfield is out for the season with a cruciate ligament injury.

Kallum Griffiths has a groin injury and will be missing for at least another week

Pete Jameson remains out with a hamstring injury

Cedric Main and Josh Scott are getting closer to a return.

Tye Barton has served one game of his three-match ban after his red card against Merthyr

👤 Player Spotlight

Former Premier League striker Adam Le Fondre is the top goal scorer for the home side with five league goals this season. The forward joined FCUM last season on a free transfer from Hibernian and scored 17 goals. He scored the decisive goal to get FCUM to this stage of the FA Trophy with a 90th-minute winner against Bamber Bridge in round one. Le Fondre also played in the Football League for Rochdale against Quakers.

Dan Atherton is the goalkeeper for FC United, and he will be familiar with facing National League North opposition, as for two seasons, he lined up for Warrington Town, and in the 23/24 season, he scored twice for them. He is a keeper who likes to try to command his area and likes to come off his line.

📈 Recent results

🏁 Darlington

• 8^th November 2025: Kidderminster 1-2 Darlington (Rutledge, Cornish)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01mGH9xUxHQ 
• 4^th November 2025: Darlington 5 (Rutledge, McGowan, Howells, Lennon, Maskell) Worksop 1
• https://youtu.be/cuLYld0Ocpc?si=PMv3sgEqdk2VfpFN
• 1^st November 2025: Merthyr Town 3-1 Darlington (Maskell)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09vxPugKzIM&t=479s
• 25^th October 2025: Darlington 2 (Maskell, Howells) Southport 0
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge2zuOe0gd0
• 21^st October 2025: Radcliffe 3-1 Darlington (Lees)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs4eA6Hkyc0

🔴 FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER

• 11^th November 2025: Warrington Town 3-0 FC United
• 8^th November 2025: FC United 0-1 Warrington Rylands
• 1^st November 2025: Bamber Bridge 0-2 FC United (Evans, Grewal)
• 25^th October 2025 FA Trophy FR: FC United 1 (Le Fondre) Bamber Bridge 0
• 21^st October 2025: FC United 3 (Grivosti x3) Rushall 1

📊 League Records

🏁 Darlington

• Position: 12^th
• Played: 16
• Wins: 6
• Draws: 4
• Losses: 6
• Goals For: 28
• Goals Against: 23
• Goal Difference: 6
• Top Scorer: Maskell (8)
• Points: 22

AWAY FORM:

• Position: 6^th
• Played: 9
• Wins: 4
• Draws: 1
• Losses: 4
• Goals For: 14
• Goals Against: 12
• Points: 13

🔴 FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER (NPL Premier Division)

• Position: 2^nd
• Played: 14
• Wins: 9
• Draw: 2
• Losses: 3
• Goals For: 19
• Goals Against: 7
• Goal Difference: 12
• Top Scorer: Le Fondre (5)
• Points: 29

HOME FORM:

• Position: 1^st
• Played: 8
• Wins: 6
• Draws: 1
• Losses: 1
• Goals For: 13
• Goals Against: 3
• Points: 19

🤝 Recent Games between the clubs

• 6^th April 2019: Darlington 2 (Holness, Thompson) FC United 0
• https://youtu.be/a-sv7HvKXSs?si=QBrSkrC5JGiSvojJ
• 13^th October 2018: FC United 1-2 Darlington (Saunders x2)
• https://youtu.be/HVGcJlkxJww?si=zluMz_nqDCehdsy2
• 14^th April 2018: FC United 1-2 Darlington (Gillies, Styche)
• https://youtu.be/FjHP50ZJ6rY?si=M88FD-k3Z9ZWiFFB
• 13^th September 2017: Darlington 3 (Cartman, Ferguson, Wheatley) FC United 0
• https://youtu.be/nDC-SzyVhFk?si=J5h-NwF4c7tlFSNd
• 17^th April 2017: Darlington 4 (Ferguson, Beck, Galbraith, Brown) FC United 2
• https://youtu.be/aCWf0TZ929w?si=_WJqNi-FB-C00iCq

🔗 Advice on conduct

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/advice-to-fans-fc-united-v-darlington

📻 Follow the Game

You can follow the game on Darlo Fans Radio, X, and the official website.