Darren Patterson's United showed what they can do if permitted to keep eleven men on the pitch tonight. Two goals from James Constable gave them the win at Northwich and also gave them something they hadn't achieved since the first away game of last season, a win after going behind.

On a grey night with rain in the air and all sign of summer now long forgotten United kept to 3-5-2 but gave Karleigh Osbourne a debut and James Constable a return to the starting line up. Young keeper Ben Hinchliffe also returned and will have been pleased to get a couple of nice comfortable touches of the ball in the opening ten minutes as both sides sparred for an opening. Hinchliffe can be pleased with his performance throughout the night, making good decisions and unable to do anything about the one shot that beat him.

Two efforts from Chris Carruthers raised the tempo and showed why a number of you have been backing him for the first goal in recent matches, and Hinchliffe then made his first real save on sixteen as he tipped a Mullan shot over the bar from sixteen yards. With Adam Murray getting plenty of space and able to hit the runners with some pin point passes, Burnell industrious as usual and Hutchinson crunching into challenges The U's were solid across the middle of the park and created the best opening so far on twenty as Constable played a fine pass to allow Guy a run at goal. Guy was in on the keeper could have chipped it, powered the ball or gone round the keeper, but in the end did none of them as he got the ball stuck under his feet and saw his shot easily dealt with by keeper Scott Tynan.

On 33 minutes a through ball from Burnell set Constable free in a similar position to Guy had been, only for his touch to take the ball too close to Tynan. Both chances betrayed, perhaps, a lack of confidence, but Constable and Guy are strong characters who believe that a chance missed just brings you closer to the one that goes in, and two minutes later Constable was firing in a twenty yard effort which would have broken the deadlock if it hadn't flicked a defender and gone narrowly wide.

Osbourne was enjoying a fine debut, looking dominant in the air and quick on the turn, and half time arrived with a huge sigh of relief: The U's had reached 45 minutes with eleven players still involved but it was a hollow victory within five minutes of the restart they went a goal behind. On the day that Stamp Duty was scrapped it was Northwich's Stamp who did his duty with a screamer of a goal. Twenty five yards out he drilled in a magnificent shot which gave Hinchliffe no chance at all as it crashed past the helpless keeper and into the top corner. Perhaps United gave the ball away too easily, perhaps Stamp could have been closed down, but some times you just have to say it was a good goal.

United could have felt sorry for themselves, but instead went up the other end and found an equaliser straight away. Carruthers shot from the edge of the area and then got to the rebound first. His second shot went to Burnell deep inside the area and he showed excellent composure to turn back rather than shoot with bodies around him, and his square ball found Constable, who swivelled and buried his third of the season. See, told you he doesn't brood on a miss. Back to parity United now needed to carry on and find a winner. Constable sent a header just wide from a Reid cross on 58 minutes, Guy forced Tynan to palm his shot over the bar on 64, and United were applying real pressure.

They needed to take advantage and on 68 they did just that. Guy battled and then lofted the ball over the defence. Tynan came out and got in a tangle as Constable charged at him. As the ball dropped Constable reacted first and Tynan grabbed Constable and brought him down. Ref Simpson, certainly no homer, pointed straight to the spot. He may not have sent Tynan off but was our favourite ref on the road so far by a mile. Guy stepped up, only to see the keeper save his penalty, but Constable reacted fastest and was on to the loose ball in a flash to drive into the net and make it 2-1.

Full value for their lead it was now a case of seeing the game out, and sub Haldane might have killed the game off on 75 as he raced clear with his first touch but saw Tynan save with his feet at the near post. Buoyed by their comeback at Ebbsfleet with ten men The U's were now playing with confidence and that all important character, and saw the game through to claim another very important three points.

The season may have started a month later than expected but this was a big win and there is still a long long way to go...

Att: 973

Away: 235

Stats by PA Sports

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