United march on in the FA Trophy after a 3-1 win. Goals from Franny Green and a brace from Jack Midson sent The Us through after a hard fought game at Chelmsford

With the pitch passing a morning inspection after heavy overnght frost it was no place for faint hearts and within ten seconds Kev Sandwith had shown a lion's heart to challenge for a header straight  after the kick off and clash heads horribly with Anthony Cook. Unusually 4-4-2, with Sam Deering and Alfie Potter on the flanks United matched their hosts as a few challenges came in to try and assert authority, but needed a magnificent challenge by captain Rhys Day to halt Ricky Holmes as he raced in on Ryan Clarke's goal after five minutes. Day may well have tripped Holmes as he tried to gather the loose ball, but ref Smedly waved appeals away.

Back in Essex for the second Saturday in a row United were facing more of a challenge against a determined Chelmsford side who had the height of giant striker Rob Edmans to aim for with set peices and long balls. They also had the quality of Ricky Holmes up front who looked a good player, and on 30 minutes his trickery got him to the by-line for a cross which produced an unbelievable save from Ryan Clarke. Centre-half Ben Martin, the second giant in the Chelmsford line up, met the ball and it looked destined for the top of the net until Clarke, seemingly wrong-footed and beaten, launched himself and reached up an arm to flick the ball over the bar. The strikers always get the headlines but that save was as good as you will see at any level and was as important as any goal at the other end.

In truth United hadn't really tested home keeper Ashley Harrison in the first half hour but then started to raise their game. Alfie Potter draggied a good chance wide of the mark on 36 as he raced clear from Midson's clever flick, but three minutes later and The U's were ahead. Sandwith showed real quality when advancing down the left wing, ghosting past his man and then delaying his cross until he had reached the dead ball line. Once in position he put in the perfect cross, cutting out the whole defence and the keeper and allowing Green to twist and swivel to volley home at the far post. It was Green's first senior goal for United and followed two goals in the Senior Cup in midweek so a good week for the former Kettering man.

There was a scare on half time as Potter limped off after trying to turn on the difficult surface meaning that goalscorer Green moved out wide and Matt Green partnered Midson up front for the second half.

It was Matt Green's cut back that set up the first chance of the second 45 minutes, only for Deering to lean back and lift his right footed effort over the bar from fifteen yards. Deering then saw a 62nd minute effort saved after Matt Green's cross but the key part of that move was that it began when sub Chris Hargreaves won the ball with his first touch back in the yellow shirt, and sprayed the ball out to Green with a forty yard pass. Welcome home.

United needed a second goal to make the game safe and on 64 it came from former Chelmsford man Midson. Once on loan to the home side the striker showed his predatory nature to tap home from six yards to make it 2-0 as Sandwith contributed his second assist of the afternoon by nodding down a Clist corner.

Midson was relishing the space up front and on 67 ensured that United went into the draw, to be made on Monday, with a typically cool finish to lift the ball delicately over the onrushing Harrison and into the back of the net to make it 3-0.

Chelmsford had given it everything and on 78 got their reward  for that hard work as ref Smedley awarded a penalty for handball against Batt. Dave Rainford pinged the near penalty perfectly into the top left corner of the net to beat Clarke.

He then smashed a second penalty over the bar in stoppage time after Edmans had been felled for a second penalty!

Conceding a goal will annoy rather than damage, and United continue to gather speed as they advance on all fronts. Day and Wright look assured and are building a partnership, Clist and Bulman got through an unbelievable amount of work in the middle, Hargreaves tidied up and drove the team foward, and take a look at the bigger picture; this was a convincing performance without players of the calibre of top scorer Constable, Mark Creighton (until the 86th minute), Anthony Tonkin, Jamie Cook or Adam Chapman among others being involved.

A good afternoon's work and United now go into the quarter finals.Two rounds from Wembley. What a fantastic season this could end up being...

United

Clarke, Batt, Day, Wright, Sandwith, Potter (M Green 45), Bulman, Clist, Deering (Creighton 86), Midson, F. Green (Hargreaves 62)

Subs

Constable, Turley

Chelmsford

Harrison, Clark, Haswell, Martin, Ward, Rainford, Martin, Cook, Edmans, Lock (Modeste 67), Holmes

Subs

Batchford, Cooper, Haines, Horwood