United deservedly got their first win of the season with a 4-0 victory against Morecambe this afternoon. A Simon Heslop opener and a magnificent James Constable hat-trick earned the U's their first three point haul on their return to the Football League.

The U's gave home debuts to Tom Craddock and Josh Payne and it took Craddock just  two minutes 52 seconds to have his first pop of the afternoon, drifting in from the left then trying his luck with a right footed effort that missed the left hand post by a yard or so, while Matt Green had another shot from similar range smothered by Shrimps keeper Roche a minute later.

The game was then delayed for a considerable amount of time as Jake Wright and Phil Jevons collided horribly and knocked each other spark out. Wright was able to continue but Jevons was forced to leave the action; thankfully not on the stretcher that was called for but looking extremely groggy. We trust he recovers swiftly.

The delay didn't stop United from playing some very bright football, inventive and accurate at all times and with the pace of Green cleary troubling the Morecambe back line.  Payne was at the heart of much of the good play, keeping things simple and knitting play together at the base of the midfield triangle while Craddock settled on the left of the front three with Green and Constable. By the time we reached twenty minutes Roche had been forced into another save from Heslop while Ryan Clarke at the other end had mostly been able to top up his tan in the autumn sun.

All that was missing was a goal, and on 21 it came courtesy of a Heslop hammer blow. Another neat move ended with  the midfielder receiving the ball 25 yards out and in acres of space. Morecambe unwisely left him to exploit that gap and he obliged with a right footed drive from 22 yards which beat Roche all ends up and whistled into the right hand corner of the net. A fine strike from a fine player.

The goal lifted any anxiety that the winless start may have produced, and four minutes later the good times were back. Heslop produced the perfect inviting corner from the right  and Constable, unbelievably unmarked by the Morecambe defence, was on hand to bury a powerful header past the stranded Roche for his first league goal of the season.

Hall almost made it three with a chip on 31 but 2-0 at the break was fair in every way.

Morecambe will have had some harsh words from boss Sammy McIlroy at the break and came out with an extra man up front and considerably more attacking purpose. Clarke made a decent save inside four minutes and on 51 a Duffy drive span off a United leg and crept almost apologetically past the left hand post with Clarke wrong footed and beaten. However United responded in kind and Craddock almost finished a low Constable cross before a fine flowing move instigated by the increasingly influential Payne ended with a Morecambe defender slicing desperately over his own bar as Tonkin crossed hard and low across the six yard line.

With space opening up the tricky duo of Deering and Potter were given the last 25 minutes to try and drift into the holes as Morecambe tried to salvage something from the game, while Mark Creighton came on for Jake Wright for the last sixteen minutes or so after Wright seemed to seize up with a back spasm. Almost immediately came the best save you will ever see. A header from Stewart Drummond was pushed away by the flying Clarke (a good save) but the ball ran straight to Paul Mullin with the goal at his mercy. His shot was good enough but Clarke had somehow recovered and got to his feet then thrown himself to save at point blank range. An astonishing double save, just as important as either of the two goals and good enough to win a match on its own.

Morecambe's day was just about done and on 81 that was confirmed. First left back Wilson scythed the flying Potter down and was shown his second yellow, leaving the ten men to try and defend the free kick. They couldn't manage it . Heslop's free kick reached Payne whose shot was scuffed but perfectly picked out Constable who swivelled and thumped the ball superbly into the far corner to seal the win.

Or so we thought...

Just to make it a perfect afternoon there was still time for Constable to complete his hat-trick. Payne was again the architect with a tackle and pass to free Tonkin. His low cross baffled the away defenders and was retrieved by Potter who tricked his way to the line then cut it back for Constable to smash home his third. Brilliant.

That first win was all important but had been achieved in some style and United will grow from this. Strap yourself in, the rollercoaster is about to pick up speed again...

Att: 6,237

Away:144

Fifty/50 winner: 112029 wins £1,153

Report by Chris Williams