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