Willie Wilts!

As I have said all season we miss far too many chances and I’m always afraid we will pay the price for it and so it proved on Tuesday night at Seaview. United manager Tommy Wright, as forecast in Sky Blue Sport, stuck with the fourteen players who swept aside Armagh City the previous Saturday. I for one would’ve liked to have seen new signing Paul Brown at least make the bench. I’m all for loyalty, as I think it was a despicable act when the then United manager Jim Platt (sorry I had to mention that Coleraine ‘Love child’), dropped Paddy Mullan for the ’84 Irish cup final, in order to play his mate Michael Ring. But loyalty doesn’t always get the job done and we had a job to do on Tuesday night and we failed to do it. United as is their wont elected to play against the prevailing wind in the first half and I have never saw the ‘logic’ in this policy, as in my opinion you have expended 70% of your energy by halftime and even though it’s easier in the second half, you have less in reserve than your opponents. Added to this was the fact that the Count Antrim F.A. in their wisdom had appointed Michael Ross (it’s not a coincidence that Ross rhymes with dross I can tell you), as referee and I thought to myself we’re really up against it. This was almost confirmed to me when Linfield got off to a flyer prising open the United defence straight from the kick-off, but luckily McFrederick smothered the ‘feeble’ final shot. United took a long time to build an attacking move but when they did they missed a glorious chance. Aiden Watson’s persistence paid off and he played the ball to United’s top scorer Vinny Sweeney, who turned his marker quite easily and then shot hurriedly, screwing his shot well wide of the target. He could’ve taken two or three paces and shot as he was clear on goal and a goal then would’ve really have affected Linfield’s confidence. That chance came in the 25th minute and two minutes later Linfield’s top striker, Glenn Ferguson just failed to connect from ten yards out, a real let-off. Then United’s Gary Haveron, a tower of strength in midfield and helping his defence as well, made an excellent ‘blocking’ tackle on Linfield’s other in-form striker Peter Thompson. Vinny Sweeney then scored for United but the referee had already blown him up for offside. After 32 minutes Thompson headed over the bar, when finding himself unmarked inside the United box. With 33 minutes on the clock United fullback Kieran Donaghy chased a hopeful ball upfield and somehow managed to pass to Kevin Kelbie wide on the right. Kelbie, who is predominately left footed, jinked inside his marker on a diagonal run before firing low into the corner of the net, to bring the Sky Blue fans to their feet in appreciation. Linfield in true fashion were stung by this reverse and doubled their efforts to try and peg United back. They were aided and abetted in this by referee Ross who gave them almost every foul he cold think off, although he did rightly deny them two audacious appeals for penalties, one of which should’ve drawn a caution for diving. After allowing both teams central defenders to ‘come over the top’ to head the ball, he then gave a foul against United’s Gary Smyth for that offence, who protested his innocence, but to no avail. Linfield midfielder McAreevy, a free kick expert, curled his 25 yard free round the wall and United keeper McFrederick made a magnificent save, pushing it away for a corner. McFrederick then made a point blank save from the corner and referee Ross showed his true colours when as United tried to clear the ball Linfield’s Trevor Gault clearly handled the ball but the referee waved play on even though it fell to Linfield. Luckily they messed up on this occasion and United were able to get the ball out with the forceful Gary Haveron bringing it upfield. Trevor Gault was having none of this and ‘hacked’ the United man down, which should’ve warranted a yellow card, but the referee took no action. Former Linfield winger Stuarty King was having a good game and after good work up the left, set up United hit-man Vinny Sweeney but he once more failed to test the keeper, shooting wide of the posts. Despite their being two minutes of stoppage time United held out until halftime and we hoped they would for once come out fired up for the second half.

Alas nothing could’ve been farther from the truth and Linfield caught them cold as they kicked off, rushing in to block United’s infamous kick-off where Gary Haveron hoofs the ball downfield inevitably into touch. United were clearly upset and seemed to sink into their shell and I thought it’s only a matter of time before they score and unfortunately I was proved right. As the United defence pushed out the ball was played up to Ferguson, who nodded it on to former United player Oran Kearney, who appeared to be at least two yards offside. As the United players waited for the linesman’s flag, Kearney bore down on the United goal, while McFrederick stood rooted to his goal line and Kearney beat him easily from close range. The offside decision never came of course and Linfield had equalised. United to their credit didn’t lie down and in fact came right back at their opponents. They missed at least three glorious chances over the next 25 minutes and they were to prove costly, very costly indeed. Gary Haveron limped out of the match after 60 minutes with Phil Charnock taking his place, but as United were in attack mode his loss wasn’t felt too badly. Young Craig McClean playing in his first senior final made a brilliant run upfield, but instead of passing, fired wildly over the bar, an opportunity wasted. United’s first good chance came when Aiden Watson got on the end of a Kelbie flick from a King corner, only to head wide of the goals when it looked odds on that he would score, then Sweeney’s overhead kick was straight at the keeper, a foot either way and who knows. This was virtually Sweeney’s last action as in a strange move the United manager took him and Scatesy off, bringing on Rowe and Hamill. If he had taken Scatesy and Aiden Watson off I could’ve understood, but in my book you never take off your striker, at least not to replace him with a midfielder and Rowe and Hamill are despite reports to the contrary, both midfielders. Hamill, who has flattered to deceive, was not an asset on this occasion, while Rowe did show some nice touches, but was unable to provide a telling pass. United’s Gary Smyth picked up a booking from referee Ross, for a challenge nowhere near as ferocious as Gault’s earlier one, while United sub Phil Charnock was cautioned for a mistimed challenge. Ten minutes from the end Kevin Kelbie pounced on a sliced clearance from a Linfield defender and with nobody but the Linfield keeper to beat he smacked his shot against the crossbar. What a miss that was and it virtually signed the United death knoll. With six minutes remaining Linfield won a dubious free kick just outside the United area and Gary Smyth was caught flatfooted as Ferguson rose unchallenged to head the winner, with McFrederick, surprise! Surprise!, rooted to his goal line. I did say Ferguson rose unchallenged, but in fact in the end he didn’t have to rise as there was nobody within three yards of him, a dreadful defensive mix-up. There was no coming back for United after this and Linfield held on for victory. As I said at the beginning, missed chances have a habit of coming back to haunt you and on this occasion they surely did.


McFrederick               5          Aiden Watson          7     MoM:      King

Donaghy               7          Sweeney          7


McClean               6          Kelbie               8


Haveron               8          King               8     Referee:      M. Ross          1


Albert Watson               7          1st Sub: Charnock     6


Smyth                    6          2nd Sub: Hamill     5


King                    8          3rd Sub: Rowe          6