'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