UNIBOND LEAGUE CHALLENGE CUP
Shepshed Dynamo 2
Retford United 6A thumping victory away at Shepshed Dynamo in the League Cup was the perfect way to return to the pitch for Peter Duffield's men.
Shepshed were first to show
their hand when Jerome Murdoch made a run on the right before being fouled by Colin Marrison, the free-kick was whipped in with Matt Millns challenging, but United were able to clear.
From a Retford corner Nicky Ellis rose to challenge Nick Jupp in the Shepshed net, the ball was spilled by the keeper but Shepshed hook the ball away to safety.
The game exploded into action on 11 minutes when Neil Harvey broke through to slot past the outstretched arm of Jupp to give the Badgers the lead.
That lead only lasted eight minutes, when a handball by Michael Simpkins gave Shepshed a free-kick and Fazal Koriya, making his debut for Dynamo curled it over the wall, beating Ross Turner to level the scores.
The see-saw game swung back into United's favour on 22 minutes, a corner by Chris Bettney found the head of Ellis whose header seemed to cross the line.
The referee had to consult his assistant who had given the goal, putting Badgers back into the driving seat.
A minute later United found themselves another goal to the good, Harvey with an easy knock-in after good work by Marrison.
In what was to be a high-scoring first half, Shepshed pulled another goal back, on 28 minutes.
Koriya was the scorer once again with another free-kick, top corner with Turner unable to get a hand to the ball, giving the hosts a glimmer of hope.
Shortly before the break, the game was all but over when a poor clearance by Jupp, having to come outside his area to clear the ball, was played into the feet of Bettney, in the centre circle.
The United winger, with the keeper way out of his area, hit the ball towards goal, Jupp clambering to get back into his box, but the empty net was soon bulging again as the long effort nestled in the corner.
The goals kept coming in the second half, the first on 55 minutes, Darryl Thomas cutting inside to beat Jupp and score United's fifth of the evening.
The match was rounded off by Harvey's hat-trick in the 88th minute as he drew Jupp out of his area, leaving the keeper once again in no man's land, before firing his shot into the empty net from the edge of the area.
United now await the draw for the quarter-finals of the competition, but return to league action on Saturday as they visit Marine FC.
