After taking their unbeaten run in all competitions to five games with a 4-0 away league win at Redbridge Forest the previous Saturday, United recorded their third straight league win to go level on points with Dagenham and Kingstonian at the top of the Diadora League Premier Division after this hard earned win at Clarence Park.
The visitors took the lead against the run of play in the 24th minute when Steve Ketteridge took a quick corner and exchanged passes with Owen Wright before swinging over a quality cross to Peter Hutter who out jumped three City defenders to head past keeper Martin Baguley.
Then, in the 32nd minute, the hosts deservedly equalised when Tony Flanagan (who had already been creating havoc down the left flank) went on another run before crossing to the far post where he controlled the ball (with no Ducks defenders making a tackle) before toe-poking past United keeper Tim Garner into the top corner.
The introduction of sub Steve Lambert for the ineffective Owen Wright in the 63rd minute effectively changed the course of the game and it was eventually 2-1 United in the 81st minute when Allan Pluckrose made a penetrating run down the left and into the box before crossing for the unmarked Cliff Hercules who fired past Baguley from the edge of the 6 yard box for his 10th of the season.
