STRIKER Rory Patterson scored a brace as FC United cantered to an easy 3-0 win away at Chorley.
The league's top scorer stole the show in front of 1,736 fans at Victory Park with another fine performance to help take the rebels up to seventh place in the UniBond Division One North.
His strike partner Stuart Rudd opened the scoring on 13 minutes with a tap-in, before Patterson got his first 20 minutes later after a brisk counter attack involving new signing Adam Carden, who played the decisive pass.
Patterson rounded things off after an hour with his ninth of the season from a Jerome Wright cross.
RORY Patterson's seventh goal of the season salvaged a point for stuttering FC United as Woodley Sports left Gigg Lane with a deserved draw.
Patterson, the UniBond first division north's top scorer, seized on Woodley skipper Nick Boothby's misdirected back-pass to lash in a 44th minute equaliser after the Steelmen's Nick Robinson had struck on the half-hour to stun the home fans in a crowd of 2,283.
Stuart Rudd, fresh back from suspension, wasted two second-half chances for the misfiring Rebels, leaving goalkeeper Sam Ashton to save them from a shock defeat when he foiled Russ Headley with a smart stop late on.
FC boss Karl Marginson, who faces having to strengthen his squad if the Rebels are to achieve a third successive promotion, said: "We might have nicked it, but all credit to Woodley for making it very difficult for us."
FC UNITED went out of the FA Cup at Fleetwood Town on Saturday in a match marred by missiles being thrown at goalkeeper Sam Ashton.
The FC stopper was twice felled by full plastic water bottles and a coin thrown from the home end during the warm-up, prompting angry crowd scenes which almost forced referee Andy Pownall to abandon the match before it had even started.
Fleetwood could now face FA sanctions after Mr Pownall, who saw Ashton hit by the two bottles, said he would be including the incidents in his report to the governing body.
FC manager Karl Marginson says he would not like to see Fleetwood punished for the ugly incidents, believed to have been caused by a small group of Liverpool fans.
He said: "I am sure Fleetwood will do all they can to keep those idiots away from their club, but unfortunately it only takes a few to spoil a great day and a good game of football.
"I know the referee has to include it in his report but I wouldn't like to see Fleetwood punished because they did everything they could to make it a great occasion and were let down by a few people intent on causing mither."
The game itself was riddled with incident, FC losing to two Jamie Milligan penalties, the first highly dubious, and the second slotted home after Rory Patterson had levelled for the Rebels.
Fleetwood played the last half-hour with ten men after midfielder Richard Allen was sent off for an off-the-ball incident, but they stood firm against a late FC onslaught.
FC UNITED'S joy at a third successive league win - 2-0 over Harrogate Railway - was tempered by news that key midfielder Josh Howard will be out of action for three months.
The former Manchester United youth team captain had a knee operation on Friday, and it was discovered that the injury was worse than first thought and he will miss a large chunk of the season.
But manager Karl Marginson is not too perturbed after seeing Howard's replacement Liam George put in a fine performance as the Rebels proved too strong for Harrogate on Saturday.
George was at the heart of most of FC's best football.
He is in line to start again tomorrow night, when a win at Clitheroe would boost them into the promotion play-off zone for the first time.
And Marginson feels he has landed another quality act: "It's a blow losing Josh but Liam has now given me two good performances, and will get even better with a few games under his belt."
FC eased to victory, missing a hatful of chances. Simon Carden hooked in the opener on 13 minutes
And it was the irrepressible Rory Patterson, now top scorer in the UniBond League first division, who hammered the second goal through a crowded penalty area after 52 minutes to secure the win.
FC UNITED crashed out of the UniBond League Challenge Cup at the first hurdle with a 1-0 extra-time defeat by Alsager Town last night.
FC made seven changes from the team which won the club's first-ever FA Cup tie against Trafford on Sunday, including debut appearances for new boys Liam George and Cayne Hanley.
And the weakened side was given a hard battle by the visitors, who are riding high in the southern section of the UniBond League's first division. FC goalkeeper Sam Ashton, with a series of saves, and a spectacular goal-line clearance by Liam Foster kept FC in contention in the first half.
Playing down the slope at Radcliffe's Stainton Park ground, it was the turn of Alsager keeper Matt Conkie to excel and he denied sub Jerome Wright, Simon Carden and Anthony Hargreaves with a string of superb saves.
And in extra time the visitors' gallant resistance paid off when Dave Whittaker smashed home a 108th-minute winner through a crowd of players when the Rebels failed to clear a corner.
FC UNITED won themselves a trip to the seaside as they kept on the Wembley trail.
The Rebels beat Trafford 5-2 in a game that was switched to Altrincham's Moss Lane ground to accommodate the 2,250 following.
Simon Carden was switched from midfield to attack and was twice on target along with Josh Howard, a Nicky Platt penalty, and a final goal from substitute Anthony Hargreaves.
Trafford, who are one division below FC United had pulled back to equalise before Pratt's spot-kick just before the interval.
The players, bolstered by getting their hands on the FA Cup at training on Thursday, will now take on Fleetwood Town in the first qualifying round on September 15... and it's only another ten victories to get to Wembley!