Diving Wins!

For thirty five minutes today Ballymena United withstood the Linfield storm, sometimes with a bit of luck it must be said, but also with a lot of skill. United manager Tommy Wright made three changes to his starting line-up of Tuesday night, with as expected team Captain Gary Smyth returning as central defender alongside Albert Watson and young Craig McClean, slotting in at left back in place of Boydie. The other change was former Linfield man Phil Charnock, coming in for Andy Rosbotham. United fans were surprised to see that Boydie, the only local player on the team ‘books’, didn’t even manage a place on the bench. Boydie’s natural enthusiasm and his determination to do well against the ‘Blues’, who controversially dropped him like a hot potato after ‘tapping’ him a few seasons ago, always fires the rest of the team up. But United appeared to be coping fairly well, although Linfield looked dangerous from set-pieces, aided and abetted by some strange decisions from referee Adrian McCourt, which kept the home team under pressure. Referee McCourt, as biased as ever, allowed Linfield to get away with some heavy tackles, especially on former player Charnock and on one occasion after Charnock had received treatment for a head injury, ignored by the referee who let play continue until Linfield played it over the touch line, he was immediately ‘booted’ in the head again and the referee allowed play to go on as we had the ball. After 34 minutes Sweeney went on a run up the left wing, leaving three Linfield players in his wake, only to lose possession at the vital moment. Young left back Craig McClean following up then fouled a Linfield player, who reacted badly and clearly threw a punch at Sweeney, who defended himself as is natural. United fans waited for the mandatory red card, but McCourt merely called Sweeney and his assailant together and gave them both a talking to, what a waste of time. But worse was to follow a minute later, when young Craig McClean allowed the Blues winger too much space and he delivered a beautiful cross. I say a beautiful cross, but it was actually too good, as it eluded everybody, but former United player Oran Kearney threw himself forward in a vain attempt to reach it. Suddenly the referee pointed to the penalty spot, United fans stared on in misbelief and the United defenders were utterly shattered as nobody had come within a yard of Kearney, whose burst of speed had taken him well beyond any of them. I personally thought the referee was giving a free kick to United, accusing the Linfield player of ‘diving’, but no, he gave a penalty. United defenders quizzed after the game would just say ‘we were nowhere near him and he knows what he did’. Pat McShane, the Linfield number 3, duly slotted the ball home, but it left a bad taste in the mouth of United fans. The home team’s heads were down after this and the visitors almost added to their lead, when after a corner led to a goalmouth scramble the ball appeared to cross the United goal-line, but a for once alert linesman had spotted an offside.

United came out for the second half in a more determined mood and took the game to the league leaders, who, it has to be said looked rather ordinary when under pressure. Rory Hamill and Vinny Sweeney were a constant threat down the middle, aided and abetted by former Linfield player Stuart King. Linfield’s answer to this was to put King out of the game, when he was ‘cleaned’ as he dribbled past McShane. Referee McCourt, who had earlier ‘booked’ King for dissent after the penalty incident, allowed the culprit to get off. From the resultant free kick, Charnock hit the ball over the bar, when surely a shot on target was called for. King hobbled off to be replaced by Scates and United began to really stretch the Blues defence. Scates was guilty of a bad miss, when after a neat dribble he chose to pass instead of shooting. After sixty minutes we won yet another free kick, when Hamill had his shirt pulled for the umpteenth time (is that why so many Blues player end up at the Showgrounds, because they like our Sky Blue jerseys), Charnock was much better with his aim on this occasion as Manus saved at the second attempt. Linfield almost sealed the points when Thompson burst down the left but McFrederick saved well at the expense of a corner. Then in a nice bit of attacking play, Aiden Watson fed the ball into Hamill’s path and Manus saved at the expense of a corner. From Charnock’s inswinger, Gary Smyth, headed over the bar. Big Gary had probably his worst game since joining the Sky Blues and appeared to give young Peter Thompson too much respect, maybe a sign that the United Captain’s best days are behind him, even Gary’s famous throw-ins, rarely troubled the Blues defence. With 20 minutes left, Gary Haveron burst onto the scene, to fire a goalbound shot, which Manus once more parried and the ball was cleared for another fruitless United corner. This was surprisingly Haveron’s last action as the United manager took him off and brought on winger Andy Rosbotham. I must say this decision completely ‘bamboozled’ me, as I thought we surrendered the initiative back to Linfield. Alas 3 minutes later I was proved correct, when from another Linfield corner the ball fell to the unmarked Glenn Ferguson and he volley the ball into the net from 12 yards out. This was the end for United and manager Wright absolutely dumfounded United fans by taking striker Rory Hamill off and bringing on reserve player Paul McDowell. Surely if we wanted to get a goal, it would have been much wiser to have taken off a midfielder, like Aiden Watson, who had struggled the whole match and really have had a go with three strikers. United to their credit continued to probe and Vinny Sweeney almost reduced the leeway, as he chased a through ball, but his toe poke just shaved the post. In the end United were found wanting, but it was sad to think that the match turned when a former United hero, showed his true colours, by taking a ‘dive’, to win his current team a penalty. ‘Same old Oran, but this time cheating’!

McFrederick 7 Haveron 8 MoM: Haveron

Collier 6 Hamill 7

McClean 6 Sweeney 8

Aid. Watson 5 King 6

Alb. Watson 7 1st Sub: Scates 7 Referee: A. McCourt 2

Smyth 5 2nd Sub: Rosbotham 5

Charnock 7 3rd Sub: McDowell 6

'Hurst Burst!

Ballymena United manager Tommy Wright didn’t quite make the mistake his predecessor Kenny Shiels made in last year’s County Antrim Shield first round game. It’s been well documented that our Kenny made too many changes to his starting line-up and handed the initiative to United’s opponents on that occasion, amateur league outfit, Kilmore rec. But the United manger did make two changes, he rested veteran central defender and Captain, Gary Smyth, with Gordon Simms taking his place, he also rested teenager Craig McClean, replacing him with the fit again Nigel Boyd. It would be fair to say that United were not overly impressive, but always looked in control of the game. When they took the lead through top scorer Vinny Sweeney, whose header from a Rosbotham inswinging corner gave the Wakehurst keeper no chance, we all waited for the floodgates to open. Alas it never happened and in fact it was the second division team who played the more inciseive football. United keeper Willie McFrederick failed to catch a ‘Hurst corner, but luckily referee Robert Penney adjudged he had been fouled, one of those decisions which can go either way. United in general and young Andrew Rosbotham in particular, kept falling foul of the ‘Hurst offside trap. When the halftime whistle sounded United fans were hopeful that manager Tommy Wright would have the players fired up for the second period.

Although I personally thought it impossible, United, with the wind at their backs, were almost worse in the second half than they were in the first. Gordon Simms was particularly ‘jittery’ and was being put under severe pressure by former United player Scott Drummond. Twenty minutes into the half United finally seemed to have made the game safe, when a through ball by Haveron just cleared ‘Hurst’s last defender and Sweeney burst through to notch his second of the night with a delightful chip, which gave the ‘Hurst keeper no chance. That’s it now I thought to my self, but I was wrong, completely wrong. As they had been threatening to do all night, the visitors built up a good move and Albert Watson was adjudged to have fouled a ‘Hurst forward in the box. Referee Penney pointed to the penalty spot, somewhat harshly in my opinion and Scott Drummond was given the task of reducing the leeway. Fortunately for United he placed his shot too close to the United keeper and he blocked the ball which was cleared upfield. Manager Wright took off the ineffective Rosbotham, who has failed miserably in both his starts in the last two games, with Scates coming on in his place. United continued to play at half pace and the visitors continued to probe for a consolation goal. With 12 minutes left, the United manager took off Sweeney and Hamill, giving reserve strikers, Paul McDowell and Randal Reid a run out. Boydie was handed the Captain’s armband by Hamill as he left the pitch, sometimes a ‘kiss of death’ for an unaccustomed player. With five minutes remaining, Boydie and King combined well down the left and when the latter’s cross came in, Gary Haveron was on hand to volley the ball high into the net, for his first competitive goal for the Sky Blues. That’s it now I thought, but I was wrong, ‘Hurst broke through the ‘lack lustre’ United defence once more and the unmarked Scott Drummond fired past a bemused McFrederick to give the ‘juniors’ a consolation goal. Luckily for United this setback came too late and there was just about time for substitute Paul McDowell to thunder a shot off the crossbar with the keeper beaten all ends up. Two minutes later referee Penney blew the final whistle and United had progressed to the next round of the County Antrim Shield. We didn’t get the emphatic victory we were looking for, but at least we got the victory. Two wins in a row, but much too early to get excited, let’s get this ‘big’ game on Saturday out of the way and then we’ll know how much we’ve progressed!

McFrederick 7 Haveron 7 MoM: V. Sweeney

Collier 7 Sweeney 8

Boydie 6 Hamill 6

Aid. Watson 6 King 6 Referee: R. Penney 5

Alb. Watson 6 1st Sub: Scates 6

Simms 5 2nd Sub: McDowell 6

Rosbotham 5 3rd Sub: Reid 6

Holm Victory!

What a difference a win makes, over the last couple of weeks it’s been really hard for me personally to write a match report, as I couldn’t think of anything positive to say. After yesterday’s one nil win at Armagh, there are nothing only positives and suddenly some of the gloom has been lifted. A one nil win doesn’t sound too impressive, but it could and should have been a lot more convincing. Rory Hamill could and should have had a hat-trick, Gary Haveron shot tamely into former United keeper Paul Rice’s hands and Rice made a good save from a Stephen Collier shot from 30 yards. This shot was in fact United’s first effort on goal during a fifteen minute opening spell and they should’ve been well in front before halftime. United manager Tommy Wright had made four changes to his starting line-up from last week, Albert Watson got the central defensive nod alongside Captain Gary Smyth, in place of the unavailable Kieran Donaghy. Gary Haveron and Aiden Watson were restored to the centre midfield, in place of Gareth Scates, who was dropped to the bench and new signing Phil Charnock who was reportedly ‘sick’. Kevin Kelbie, such a disappointment up front was dropped, with Vinny Sweeney moved up front to partner Rory Hamill. Stuart King switched to the right in place of Sweeney, with Andy Rosbotham taking King’s place on the left wing. Stuart King had probably his best game since joining United and was a constant thorn in Armagh’s flesh throughout the first 45 minutes. Stephen Collier, who looks like making the number two berth his own, linked well with King down the United right flank and brought a good save from Armagh keeper Rice after 14 minutes, with a rasping shot. The resultant corner from Rosbotham was easily dealt with by the keeper, something that the Sky Blues still need to work on in training in my opinion. After twenty minutes King skipped down the touch-line, cut inside his marker and put in a ‘glorious’ cross, for Sweeney to head goalwards, but Rice was equal to the task, tipping the ball over the bar. From the resultant corner, the ball fell to Haveron, who shot weakly into the keeper’s arms. Two minutes later Hamill should’ve given his team the lead, when after good interplay between himself and Rosbotham, he chose to go onto his weaker left foot, instead of shooting with his right and Rice saved easily. Hamill then turned provider when he drove a cross into the Armagh goalmouth, but no United player could get the vital touch. In a rare Armagh attack, United keeper McFrederick showed he had recovered from last week’s gaffe, by plucking the ball out of the air with some confidence as it sped goalwards. United kept probing for the opener, but a combination of bad finishing and good Armagh defensive play, with former United favourite Marco Carlisle in top form, kept the Sky Blues at bay until halftime.

Referee David McGarvey, who had been fairly inconspicuous in the first half, seemed determined to change things around in the second and somehow managed to book two United players in the process. This was somewhat surprising, as he allowed the home team to ‘get away’ with one or two heavy tackles. Armagh played more determinedly in the second period and young Craig McClean, ‘tugged’ their number seven back when caught out of position. Referee McGarvey, who had allowed Armagh’s number 9, to get away with an elbow to Gary Smyth, seemed to think this a serious offence and gave him a stern talking to. Two minutes later young Craig was again judged to have fouled his opponent, when he headed the ball away with his opponent making no attempt to go for the ball. But the ‘harshest’ decision came when after he made a great saving tackle on the same player, winning the ball fair and square, the referee completely astonished everybody in the ground by flourishing the yellow card to the Ballymena youngster. Midway through the half Armagh won another ‘dubious’ free kick, about twenty five yards from goal and this proved to be a big turning point in the game from my point of view. With the United defensive wall covering the left side of his goal, McFrederick lined up on the right side and he made a tremendous save, tipping Armagh player Andy Ward’s piledriver over the bar for a corner. Armagh, who had surprisingly taken Marco off five minutes earlier, were ‘gutted’ and worse was to come in the 71st minute. From a McFrederick clearance the ball fell to Haveron, who fed it through to Hamill. As Rory looked to pull it onto his left foot again he saw Sweeney bursting through and he fed it perfectly for the big man, who rifled it into the net past the stranded Rice, for his third goal of the season. This goal was no more than United deserved but as usual they failed to press home their advantage, allowing the home team to have a ray of hope. United manager Wright, who had earlier replaced Rosbotham, one of the few United players who failed to shine, with Scates, seemed content with a one nil lead, but I think we had enough chances to have wrapped the game up comfortably, instead of hanging on for a one nil victory. Rory Hamill and company all failed to get to a driven cross by Scates before we had one of those ‘bizarre’ decisions which are prevalent in the Irish league. Gareth Scates after another good run up the touch line put in another cross and as an Armagh defender attempted to clear, he merely played the ball back to Scates. Somewhat surprisingly the linesman ‘flagged’ Scates offside, when no other United player had touched the ball from his original cross. Aiden Watson, who had been the subject of a heavy tackle from Armagh’s number 15, who was cautioned, became the second United player to get a booking for a somewhat clumsy tackle. Manger Wright decided to go for a ‘what we have we hold’ policy, taking off Stuart King and bringing on the fit again Nigel Boyd after 82 minutes. United continued to throw away chances, with Hamill once more failing to find the ‘killer’ punch in front of goal. This was virtually his last contribution, as he made way for Paul McDowell. United much to the chagrin of the United fans, the Sky Blues began time wasting with five minutes to go. One typical incident, which springs to mind, happened when after winning a corner on the right, they failed to cross the ball and just ‘frittered away possession. Luckily this didn’t come back to haunt them as despite the referee finding 4 minutes of stoppage time, Armagh could not find a way past the United rearguard, who were outstanding to a man.

McFrederick 8 Haveron 6 MoM: McFrederick

Collier 8 Sweeney 7

McClean 7 Hamill 6

Aiden Watson 6 Rosbotham 5 Referee: D. McGarvey 3

Albert Watson 8 1st Sub: Scates 7

Smyth 8 2nd Sub: Boydie 6

King 8 3rd Sub: McDowell 6

Lakeview Horror!

I have been struggling for two days almost as to what to say about United’s trip to Loughgall on Saturday. When we went there last year and lost the first league match of the season, I foolishly thought that was my lowest ebb, but I’m afraid Saturday’s match was even worse. Let’s face it, we were out played by the home team in every department, attack, midfield and defence. United manager Tommy Wright is looking like a man devoid of ideas, he changes the team and still we serve up the biggest ‘crap’ imaginable. I was one of the greatest critics of former United manager Kenny Shiels’s perseverance with the ‘half paced’ Joe Gray, but I have to say at the end of the day, I couldn’t have accused Joe of not putting in the effort. On Saturday United had so many players way below form it was hard to pick somebody playing to the best of his ability. The exception to this was young left back Craig McClean, but he was fighting a lone battle. United forced about four corners in the first half and every time they were sent to the far post, where they proved ineffective, as we never had anybody wide enough to capitalise on them. Kieran Donaghy did manage to get on the end of one, but couldn’t hit the target as he headed over the bar. New signing Phil Charnock showed some nice touches early on, but he too faded into oblivion as the match went on. Midway through the half United keeper Willie McFrederick, under no pressure, fumbled an easy catch and a Loughgall player tapped the ball into the empty net. I knew in my heart that United would not be able to come back from this setback and unfortunately I was proved right.

At the start of the second half United manager Tommy Wright took off the totally ineffective Kevin Kelbie, bringing on young Aiden Watson, while pushing Sweeney upfront, a complete waste of time. Sweeney has been tried up front and found wanting and so it proved this time. Neither he nor Rory Hamill are target men, they can play there occasionally, but it is a position totally alien to them. One only has to watch them, they are never in a position to attack the ball and they never look likely to score. United did play better in the second half, but I still couldn’t see where a goal was coming from. Manager Wright in a last roll of the dice brought on Gary Haveron, pushing Captain Gary Smyth into attack, but why did he have to take Rory Hamill off to accommodate him. When is he going to realise that Hamill’s best position is wide right and if he was desperate why not bring on Albert Watson as well and really go for it. Gary Smyth just failed to get to a header from a McClean cross and everybody missed a Scates cross from the right, which had the United management tearing their hair out. Referee Davey Malcolm who was his usual incompetent self added on at least 5 minutes of stoppage time, but I knew United were never going to score and so it proved. As we left the ground I couldn’t help thinking why did we come to Loughgall with two centre halves and one midfielder on the bench, have we no strikers in our panel at all, or can our management not see the wood for the trees!

McFrederick          5          Charnock           6     MoM:     C. McClean

Collier               6          Hamill                6

McClean          7          Kelbie                4

Scates               6          King                5     Referee:     D. Malcolm     3

Donaghy          6          1st Sub: Aiden Watson 5

Smyth               5          2nd Sub: Haveron      5

Sweeney          4

Wright Panic!

Ballymena have now played nine games, six C.I.S. cup games and three Premier league games. They have so far only managed to score seven goals, while conceding ten. After six C.I.S. cup games and three league games, two of the league games away from home last season, they had also conceded ten goals, but had scored thirteen and therein lie most of our problems. When the team is playing you cannot see where the goals are going to come from, there is no obvious threat to the opposition and as a result our defence is under extreme pressure. So it was at the Showgrounds yesterday, when manager Wright, in what looked like a desperate gamble picked a four, three, three formation. With Gary Haveron somehow still holding down a midfield role, alongside Aiden Watson and Gareth Scates, we were left with Hamill, Kelbie and McDowell up front, but with no obvious means of supply. Manager Wright made one more change, dropping the out of form Simms and bringing in Albert Watson as a replacement. United playing with the wind at their backs in the first half were absolutely at sea, with no cohesion in midfield and no idea up front. I can’t for the life of me remember the ‘reds’ goalkeeper having a save worthy of the name to make in the first period. Cliftonville were the livelier of the two teams but missed a glorious chance when their number ten headed over the bar from six yards with McFrederick as usual ‘rooted’ to his line. Ten minutes before halftime we witnessed yet another of those refereeing inconsistencies which are so prevalent in the Irish league. Cliftonville player Gary Kennedy took exception to a tackle by United’s Albert Watson and then exacted revenge with a very late and very ‘brutal’ tackle. This should have brought the ‘mandatory’ red card, but referee Carville merely cautioned the player. Albert, somewhat foolishly in my opinion, carried on after extensive treatment, but he was limping badly and unable to contribute much during the rest of the half. With halftime approaching Gary Haveron was caught in possession and former United player John ‘O spread the ball to the left wing. Kieran Donaghy failed to close the winger down and his cross was headed clear by Gary Smyth. The ball fell to the Reds number seven who promptly despatched it into the United net (I hope Gareth Scates, who missed a sitter from a similar position last week at Newry was watching), to put his team one up. United to their credit tried to hit back but I still couldn’t see where a goal was coming from and despite the promptings of Aiden Watson we reached halftime one nil down.

As I expected Albert didn’t come out for the second half and we were caught cold two minutes into the half. Gordon Simms for some reason known only to him tried to go out and close a Reds midfielder down, leaving Gary Smyth exposed at the back. John ‘O provided a cross into the box after ghosting past McFrederick and despite a goal-line clearance from Donaghy, former Whites hitman Mark Holland fired home from close range to make it two nil. Surely now I thought manger Wright will see this formation isn’t working and change things, but I was wrong. Our three strikers (and I use this word fairly loosely), tended to over elaborate when in possession, with fancy back heels and flicks which invariably meant loss of possession. With twenty minutes left Tommy Wright at last awakened from his slumbers and brought on young Andy Rosbotham in place of McDowell. This must be the first time the United fans have applauded the introduction of a midfielder for a striker, when the team were trailing two nil. We still continued to ‘flatter to deceive’, but did force a couple of corners. Few of these were delivered correctly, but from one Gary Smyth missed a glorious chance to show his forwards up when from a ‘free header’ his effort went over the bar, a bad miss. With ten minutes remaining manager Wright played his last ‘card’ bringing on Vinny Sweeney, but for some reason known only to him, took off yet another striker, Kevin Kelby. Surely this was a backward move, wouldn’t it have been more positive to have taken off either of the two ineffective midfielders, Scates or Haveron, although in all fairness Kelbie has yet to impress me personally. Sweeney, whom the United manager brought with him from Limavady made little or no difference and in fact ‘seemed’ to pull out of a couple of fifty-fifty challenges, not what I want to see when my side’s chasing a game. Gary Smyth ‘missed’ with another ‘free’ header, when it looked easier to score and then as if not to be outdone, Gordon Simms missed a ‘sitter’ as well. Could we in the end lay the blame for this defeat on our defence?  Cliftonville’s first goal came from Gary Smyth’s clearance and their second when Gordon Simms got caught out of position and if ‘they’ had taken their ‘clear cut’ chances, we’d have won three two. But I think not, the blame has to lie with our manger’s insistence in playing Gary Haveron in midfield, where his performances have been nothing more than ordinary at best and leaving us with a goalkeeper who won’t come off his line because he didn’t like Goosey’s attitude. Big Tam, the honeymoon’s over, it’s time to prove that you’re a manager, not yet another ‘flash in the pan’. I could give a list here but it would take up a lot of space and we all know who they are, Kenny, Nigel and Alan to name but three. Thankfully we have two weeks to get over this setback, but we’re gonna need it, aren’t we?

McFrederick          5          Aiden Watson          7`     MoM:   Aiden Watson     

Donaghy          5          Hamill               5

McClean          6          Kelbie               5

Haveron          5          McDowell          5     Referee:  H. Carville     3

Albert Watson          7          Sub: Simms          5

Smyth                6          Sub: Rosbotham     5

Scates               5          Sub: Sweeney          5