Picking Strikes!

United got back to winning ways at Newry today in a game that will not live long in my personal memory. Manager Wright as intimated in Sky Blue Sport, made 3 changes to his starting line-up, Aiden Watson in for Gareth Scates, Stuart King for Darren Murphy and fit again young striker Randall Reid in place of top scorer Kevin Kelbie. The first half was a boring nondescript affair and apart from a flick from a Newry forward that skimmed off the visitor’s crossbar, I can’t remember one item worthy of note. Former United keeper Goosey Robinson was the recipient of some playful banter from the travelling United support, who with little else to sing about, gave a rendition for United’s imminent signing of Gavin Melaugh from Donegal Celtic. United did threaten the home goal on a number of occasions, but their final pass was usually of a poor quality, either behind a player or too close to the home keeper. It was no surprise when halftime arrived with a score of 0-0 and the match had the look of a scoreless draw written all over it.

Newry started the second half in a positive frame of mind and subjected the visitors to some early pressure, but with no real threat. Eight minutes into the half United broke and the ball was played through for Randall Reid to chase. Newry defender Paddy Quinn, muscled the young United striker off the ball and was so pleased with himself, that instead of hoofing the ball into touch and safety, he attempted to roll it back to his keeper. The ever alert Fitzy intercepted the ball near the goal-line and then cheekily back-heeled it into Randall’s path and the young striker stroked it past Goosey to put United one up. The United fans, myself included were urging their team to be vigilant and not allow the home team an easy equaliser as per our last game against the Coleraine Scum. United did consolidate for awhile and when they did manage to break they were invariably held up by a rather efficient Newry offside trap. Winger Mark Picking has been on fire for the Sky Blues over the last few weeks and it was he who increased United’s lead after 66 minutes. Lee Patrick threaded the ball through to Fitzy and he laid it deftly into Picking’s path and the winger burst through on goal, rounded Goosey and fired United into a two goal lead, with his sixth goal of the season. Manager Wright took off Fitzy before the game could restart, bringing on Kelbie to partner Randall up front. Five minutes later this substitution bore fruit as Picking skipped down the wing and as his cross came over, Kelbie was blatantly pushed in the back. Referee Steven Weatherall gave the penalty and after a bit of a discussion, Gary Haveron took on the role and hit the ball firmly into the right corner of the net, as Goosey dived the other way. Six minutes later the United defence went asleep and failed to cut out a simple cross and Newry substitute Fitzgerald forced the ball into the net. The United fans looked a bit anxious for the next few minutes and there were a few nervy twangs as the home team attempted to reduce the leeway even further. United had taken off a tiring Randall Reid and brought on Scatesy on the right wing, with Picking moving up front beside Kelbie. United had a couple of chances to put the match out of reach, but were content to try and ‘kill time’ at the corner flag, not something I personally enjoy. With the match well into injury time, Picking broke the Newry offside trap again and with Goosey rooted to his goal-line he tried to find Aiden Watson with a pass, instead of going for the goal himself. The pass was intercepted, but before United could be made to pay for their poor execution, the referee blew the final whistle. A 3-1 victory for United, three points in the bag, so all we need now is a draw with the Glens on Tuesday night. After their first league defeat at home to Portadown today I think we’ll face a lot sterner task than at Newry today. But let’s enjoy our victory in the meantime and a Happy New Year to all Sky Blue fans from all at Sky Blue Sport!

P. Murphy 7 Patrick 7 MoM: Picking

Callaghan 6 Reid 7

McClean 6 Fitzy 7

Aid Watson 6 King 5 Referee: S. Weatherall 4

Alb Watson 6 1^st Sub: Kelbie 6

Haveron 7 2^nd Sub: Scates 6

Picking 8

United Flops!

The scene was set at Ballymena Showgrounds today, a big holiday crowd, a nice crisp day, almost perfect football conditions, no wind to speak of, only problem was, United didn’t turn up for the first 20 minutes. It had all looked so promising when the Sky Blues won a free kick after two minutes, which surprise, surprise; they failed to take advantage of. One minute later Coleraine were almost in front when winger Carson left Aaron Callaghan chasing shadows and crossed behind the United defence, where home defender Craig McClean forced his goalkeeper Paul Murphy into a brilliant reaction save. Two minutes later Murphy could only stand and watch as striker Davey Patton fed Damien Whitehead who somehow screwed his shot wide from six-yards, with the home defence at sixes and sevens. Coleraine took a deserved lead with a ‘blatant offside goal’ after 9 minutes, when after a corner had been partially cleared, Murphy managed to block it, but the ball was lifted over his head to Whitehead who with only one man, McClean between him and the goals was clearly offside, to fire into the net, but the linesman kept his flag down and Davey Malcolm gave the goal. As United tried to mount an attack Picking was viciously scythed to the ground by visiting defender Stephen Beattie, but referee Davey Malcolm only gave the defender a talking to instead of the mandatory yellow card for this offence. Two minutes later Coleraine were given a second goal when Albert Watson completely miskicked a Patton cross-field ball and allowed Whitehead a free run on goal and he beat Murphy easily from close range. Midway through the half Callaghan forced his keeper into a good save with a mistimed clearance and then United missed a golden chance to get back in the game. Darren Fitzgerald worked a good one two with Mark Picking and set up Lee Patrick, who completely miskicked with only the keeper to beat. United did manage to force a couple of corners and Gareth Scates fired over from 20 yards when one of these was partially cleared to him. Gary Haveron managed to get a free kick on target, but Davey O’Hare, like all fat goalkeepers, made it look better than it was. The linesman at the Fisherwick end of the ground failed to spot Whitehead offside again, but luckily the ball ran into touch. Halftime was reached with United two down and players and manager had to survive a torrent of abuse from disgruntled home fans as they entered the players tunnel.

United came out with a bit more purpose in the second half and with one change to their starting line-up, Stuarty King for Darren Murphy. The linesman at the Fisherwick end had obviously read up on the offside rule and rightly flagged Kelbie offside in United’s first attack, a correct decision, but his only offside flag of the match. Craig McClean picked up a booking for his first foul as did a Coleraine player for retaliation. Attacking their favourite goals the home team looked a site more menacing in the second period and deservedly got back into the game. From a Stuart King corner the ball fell to Mark Picking wide on the right and he drilled a shot under ‘fat’ Davey O’Hare’s body to reduce the leeway after 60 minutes. Two further bookings came Coleraine’s way as United stepped up the pace, but then referee Malcolm took the coward’s way out when Noel Anderson of Coleraine came in late on United’s Gareth Scates with a blatant head butt, taking no action, just awarding the free kick. But United weren’t to be denied and laid siege to the visitor’s goal and sure enough they got their just reward. From another corner Gary Haveron’s header appeared to have crossed the goal-line, but as the ball bounced off the post, Lee Patrick headed it into the net and was accredited with the goal. The United fans were in raptures, but it was short lived as Coleraine caught the home team napping almost immediately and when Patton and Carson found themselves two against one, Patton drew the United defender before releasing Carson who fired past the advancing Murphy. United manager Tommy Wright then made what I can only describe as a major gaffe, taking off top scorer Kevin Kelbie and midfielder Gareth Scates and handed the initiative to the visitors, by bringing on possibly the two smallest players in the Premier league, Aiden Watson and Austen Friel. United did manage to mount a few more attacks and Darren Fitzgerald had a couple of half-chances, first with an overhead kick and then failing to trouble O’Hare from five yards. As the game approached stoppage time, Coleraine began punting the ball deep into the corners and United were kept pinned in their own half for the most part. Then as if to add insult to injury, despite 5 subs being used and there being at least two minutes stoppage time and lots of time wasting by the visitors, the fourth official signalled only for 3 added minutes. Not to be outdone Davey Malcolm only played 2 actual minutes, but I suppose in the end it didn’t matter as United were well and truly beaten by that stage. The most galling thing about this defeat is the fact that the match ever took place at all, as Coleraine should now be playing in the Irish league second division or disbanded completely. But the Irish F.A. are, as we have said many times on Sky Blue Sport, rotten to the core and while they exist we’ll have to live with their gutless decisions!

P. Murphy 7 Patrick 6 MoM: Picking

Callaghan 5 Fitzy 6

McClean 5 Kelbie 6

Scates 6 D. Murphy 5 Referee: D. Malcolm 3

Alb Watson 5 1^st Sub: King 6

Haveron 6 2^nd Sub Friel 5

Picking 8 3^rd Sub Aid Watson 5

Hol(e)y Defence!

United manager Tommy Wright keeps insisting that the Sky Blues defence is as good as almost any in the league, the ‘fallacy’ of that statement was never better illustrated than at Lakeview Park today. United had failed to score on their two previous championship visits to the County Armagh venue and they broke that duck today alright, but conceded three goals themselves in the process. Nobody in United’s back four can claim immunity from an inept display of slip-shod defending that was at times embarrassing. Having said that, the chances that were passed up by the United forwards, beggar’s belief. With just four minutes on the clock, Mark Picking put over a perfect cross and the unmarked Fitzy failed to find the target with a free header, a glaring miss. Two minutes later United Captain Albert Watson missed with a free header from 2 yards out. Then as so often happens, Loughgall scored with their first foray into United territory. United defender Aaron Callaghan was left trailing in a player’s wake and when his cross came over the United defence stood and watched as the home number 9 stroked the ball into the net. That goal came after 9 minutes and 7 minutes later it was 2, when the visitors failed to clear their lines from a corner and the ball was swept home once again. United did manage to pull a goal back after 26 minutes when Picking once more found Fitzy with a cross and the striker first shot straight at the home keeper, but as the ball came back to him he drove the rebound into the net. United then missed two sitters as the home defence wilted under pressure, firstly Kevin Kelbie screwed a left foot shot wide from the edge of the six-yard box after 30 minutes and 5 minutes later Darren Murphy did likewise in almost identical fashion. Lee Patrick missed with a free header as the Sky Blues pummelled the home defence and Kelbie shot hurriedly when well placed. United finally got back on level terms just before halftime when Fitzy once more hammered the ball goalwards and Mark Picking forced the ball over the line at the far post.

Five minutes into the second half the United defence went asleep again and Loughgall took the lead once more. Gary Haveron, who had a day he’ll want to forget, failed to hammer the ball over the touch-line and in fact only did the work for a Loughgall forward and when his cross came over the home striker headed past the stranded Paul Murphy, with Albert Watson in no-mans land. United laid siege to the home goal after this setback but looked destined not to find the vital breakthrough. After 65 minutes manager Tommy Wright took off Scatesy and brought on Stuarty King and this proved to be an inspired substitution as the former Linfield player got on the end of a Fitzy cross and bundled the ball into the net. United had their ‘tails up’ now and with winger Mark Picking in exhilarating form carried the game to their opponents. With 15 minutes remaining United made another substitution, taking off a below par Darren Murphy and bringing on Aiden Watson. Gary Haveron compounded his poor form with a free kick that failed to trouble the keeper and then drove yet another into the home defensive wall. United continued to press for the winner and King just failed to get to another Picking cross. With 10 minutes left, manager Wright then committed what in my mind was the biggest ‘gaffe’ of the day, taking off my ‘man of the match’, Mark Picking and bringing on Austen Friel. He changed the formation to go to three at the front, but he could have taken off either Kevin Kelbie, who was not at his best, or the tiring Lee Patrick, as Picking can play either up front or in midfield. United did have one final chance when Kelbie drove a shot over the bar with the goal gaping. Then keeper Paul Murphy was caught miles off his line, but luckily the attempted chip over his head fell well short. But the keeper committed an even worse mistake when he completely miskicked a clearance but luckily for him Albert Watson cleared the danger. So a draw against the poorest team in the league was all that United had to show for their trip to the Orchard County. Finally to sum up, if our management team can’t sort out our defensive frailties’, it’ll be a long hard slog from now to the end of the season.

P. Murphy 5 Patrick 5 MoM: Picking

Callaghan 5 Fitzy 7

McClean 5 Kelbie 5

Scates 5 D. Murphy 5 Referee: S. Weatherall 4

Alb Watson 5 1^st Sub: King 6

Haveron 4 2^nd Sub: Aid Watson 5

Picking 8 3^rd Sub: Friel 5

Dour Struggle!

I’m beginning to wonder if this United team is ever going to show its full potential, today they struggled against what can best be described as mediocre opposition. Donegal Celtic have a long way to go before they are a team to be reckoned with, yet United just managed a one nil win. They had at least three glorious chances to put the game beyond the visitors, but managed to miss all three and had to endure an anxious last five minutes plus 8 minutes stoppage time. The fact that they took the lead in the first half with a real nice bit of football, a lead that was to last the full ninety minutes, is all the more galling because of the dross served up thereafter. United manager Tommy Wright has introduced a third night’s training, but on the evidence of the last few weeks it’s having an adverse effect rather than a positive one on the United players. Today they appeared to be flatfooted and lethargic and if they’d been facing a decent team I believe they’d have got tanked. Donegal Celtic are to all intents and purposes still a junior club and United were glad of that today, I can tell you. It looked like it was going to be one of those days, United had at least 6 corners and never once put in a telling cross from any one of these. On almost every occasion the ball was either too close to the keeper, or failed to clear the first defender, a terrible indictment on the so called United dead ball experts. As has been well documented on Sky Blue Sport, our set pieces, corners, throw-ins and free kicks have to be seen to be believed, they are so crap. The United manager, as quoted in Sky Blue Sport, gave a thumbs up to last weeks starting eleven, which meant top scorer Kevin Kelbie, returning from a one match ban, only getting a place on the subs bench. This looked like a good decision when United took the lead after 26 minutes, with a delightful bit of football. Mark Picking took a pass from Lee Patrick down the right and found Fitzy with a neat cross, the former Glasgow Rangers apprentice, took the cross on his chest before firing through the legs of visiting keeper Declan Brown, for his first goal of the season. I thought to myself now the floodgates will open and we’ll give this team a real pasting, but of course I was far mistaken. United ‘huffed and puffed’ but were unable to break down the Celtic rearguard, ably marshalled by former ‘scum’ player, Packy McAllister. United had at least ten corners in the half and never looked like adding to their score and when halftime came it was almost a relief.

During the first 15 minutes of the second period, United seemed to retreat into their shell, but luckily the visitors (who brought a particularly poor crowd with them), were unable to take advantage of the situation. United missed another three gilt-edged chances in the 2^nd half, when the ball seemed to be diverted by accident or by a last ditch lunge by a defender, as it sped goalwards. The visitors got one real chance for an equaliser when a fiercely struck free kick rattled the United crossbar, with Murphy well beaten. At the other end Declan Brown made an acrobatic save from a Haveron free kick from 30 yards. Referee Keith Armstrong finally lost patience with McAllister and cautioned him and another Celtic player. He also cautioned United’s Gareth Scates who in my opinion continues to underperform. With 15 minutes remaining Fitzy went off with Kevin Kelbie taking his place and then as so often happens United were forced into making yet another change when youngster Randal Reid received a serious ankle injury and had to be carried off. The United manager, in his wisdom, brought on Stuarty King, with Mark Picking moving upfront with Kelbie. With time running out Aiden Watson replaced Picking and King was moved upfront where he could do little damage. Home keeper Paul Murphy was injured in a collision with a visiting forward and we had the ludicrous situation where he had to throw the ball into touch in order to get attention. Celtic in a sporting gesture threw the ball back to the United keeper (who said the spirit of Christmas was dead). Murphy then made a late save to keep the score at one nil, despite still limping after his injury. United held out for a second victory in a row and into 9^th position in the league, but they didn’t half make heavy weather of it!

P. Murphy 7 Patrick 6 MoM: P. Murphy

Callaghan 6 Reid 6

McClean 7 Fitzy 7

Scates 5 D. Murphy 6 Referee: K. Armstrong 4

Alb Watson 6 1^st Sub: Kelbie 5

Haveron 6 2^nd Sub: King 5

Picking 6 3^rd Sub: Aid Watson 5

Maestro Murphy!

Ballymena made the short trip over Shane’s Hill tonight and in the process notched their first away win of the season. A classic it was not, but it was a thoroughly deserved victory for the Sky Blues, one that moved them up to tenth in the league table. As predicted in Sky Blue Sports news, manger Wright brought in, Craig McClean, Lee Patrick and Randal Reid, for the suspended Kevin Kelbie, injured Boydie and the rested Aiden Watson. Austen Friel, who has missed the last three games, won a place on the bench, beside Stuarty King and Aiden Watson. United started brightly but failed to get a really telling move to unlock the stubborn Larne defence. The home team on the other hand, playing up the ‘slope’, gave the United defence a few headaches and Gary Haveron was relieved to see a too short back-header to his keeper, hooked past the post by a home attacker. Gareth Scates tried his luck with two long range shots, but failed to seriously trouble McKean, in the Larne goal. The referee allowed the home team to get away with a couple of robust tackles and then booked young Craig McClean for his first foul after 36 minutes. Scatesy saw yet another close range shot spilled by the keeper, who then blocked Fitzy’s rebound from close range which missed the target. But United weren’t to be denied and they took the lead on the stroke of half-time. Gary Haveron played a long clearance to Darren Murphy, who a minute early had made a ‘complete Horlicks’ of a free kick, this time the Portadown man fired in a beauty of a cross and Randal Reid rose majestically to give home keeper McKean no chance with a precise header. Some of the players congratulated Gary Haveron for his part in the move, but I think he’d be the first to admit it was more down to luck than skill. Still it gave United the lead going in at halftime and I had high hopes for the second half.

United took a wee while to settle at the start of the second period, but when they did they produced the move of the game. Aaron Callaghan went on a great run from inside his own half leaving four players trailing in his wake, exchanged a wall pass with Fitzy, before setting in on a plate for big Randal Reid. The young striker attempted to side-foot the ball home, but somehow missed the target completely. What a let-off for the home team and I was a little worried that we’d pay for letting this chance go abegging. Larne attempted to pile on the pressure, but the United defence and keeper Paul Murphy held firm. Murphy did drop the ball once when challenged unfairly, but luckily it was scrambled for a corner. Fitzy then had a great chance to wrap up the points, but delayed his shot before being hauled down by a Larne defender. To the utter amazement of the Sky Blue fans, referee Ball waved play on, telling the ex-Glasgow Rangers player, that he had dived. United were forced to make a substitution with about 15 minutes left, when Darren Murphy limped off with cramp, with Stuarty King taking his place. Three Larne players and two United ones, Fitzy and Scates received yellow cards, Fitzy for dissent and Scatesy for a blatant trip. With five minutes left the United manager brought on Austen Friel for Fitzy and by this time Larne were just pumping aimless balls into the United penalty area. Friel missed a glorious chance to seal the points, when he sprinted clear of the home defence, but instead of going straight for goal he delayed his shot and when he did finally get it off, home keeper McKean saved at the second attempt. With the game deep into injury time we witnessed one of those bizarre incidents that give the local game its bad publicity. Larne’s keeper was about to take a free kick, when Tommy Wright decided to take off, Mark Picking and bring on Aiden Watson. Everybody in the ground knew this except referee Ball and he was busy shouting at the Larne keeper to get on with it and waving play on. Finally the penny dropped and United were able to use their final sub and despite a panicky final two minutes they held out for a deserved victory. We had at last got back to winning ways, but boy we made ourselves sweat!

P. Murphy 7 Patrick 7 MoM: D. Murphy

Callaghan 7 Reid 8

McClean 7 Fitzy 7

Scatesy 6 D. Murphy 8 Referee: A. Ball 3

Alb Watson 6 1^st Sub: King 6

Haveron 7 2^nd Sub: Friel 6

Picking 6 3^rd Sub: Aid Watson 6