After suffering their 4th successive defeat with a 6-0 thrashing away at Gravesend in midweek, the Ducks bounced back well to end their run with a battling performance at Buckingham Road. Some early pressure resulted in United taking the lead in the 22nd minute when Matt Hayward headed in Matt Brady's curling corner at the far post.
Keeper Gary Phillips kept the Ducks' lead intact with 2 superb saves to deny Shaun Marshall before they went 2-0 up in the 55th minute when Justin Merritt sent a long ball for Mick Swaysland to chase and he whipped over a cross for Brady who scored at the far post to mark his debut with a goal.
Kevin Davies should have made the game safe for United on 57 when he shot over the bar after Brady's through ball before Marshall pulled one back for Wood in the 74th minute. Marshall's studs accidentally caught Phillips in the act of scoring and the big keeper played the rest of the game with his knee heavily strapped.
United were reduced to 10 men in the 81st minute when Jim Meara was sent off for deliberate handball after handling Garry Nisbett's header on the line. Marshall slotted home from the penalty to level the score to leave the Ducks with a nailbiting last 9 minutes to survive. Davies and Swaysland went close to winning it for United but at least they had stopped the rot.
