Not only did the Green Bloods take all three points out of the game, they registered back-to-back wins for the first time all season.

Brendan Prince resembled a zombie after he had walked off the plane earlier in the morning and sat on the bench for the first half.

Coach Chris Walsh found the amusing side of Prince’s predicament when he told him at the break he would be required.

“He looked at me as if to say ‘you’re kidding,” Walsh said.

“But he worked out a way to get up and down the sideline in the second half.”

Prince delivered the money ball to Andy Collins down the right wing before he bettered Prince’s pass with a “screamer” of a cross which David Pugh headed into the net for the winner.

But United did it the hard way.

Jarred Kohler opened the scoring midway through the first half with a sublime strike from general play which gave the Taree goalkeeper no chance.

Shortly after the visitors were awarded a dubious penalty after contact was made with what appeared to be just outside the area.

The referee disagreed and pointed to the spot.

United goalkeeper Brock Longworth then dived low and to his right to deny the spot kick and preserve United’s 1-0 lead.

“The football God’s looked after us,” Walsh said.

The visitors then equalised with a tap in at the back post in the early stages of the second stanza.

The match was then an arm wrestle until Prince, Collins and Pugh combined to ensure United stayed alive for another week.

Earlier in the day, United’s reserve graders started a successful day off for the club with a 3-0 victory over the Wildcats.

Walsh said it was pleasing for the club for the “reggies” to pick up another win.

“It was the first time in about a month they were full-strength,” he said.

“They’ve suffered a bit with results and people doing the HSC and things like that.”