With new signing Gavin Melaugh as yet not cleared, United manager Tommy Wright named almost the same starting line-up as last Saturday. Darren Murphy got the nod on the left wing instead of Stuarty King, at the stock car tracked Showgrounds. Our feelings against these so called Sportsmen, has been well documented, but surely the time has come when Ballymena United should be looking for another venue, to play their home games, as these individuals seem to believe they have a god given right to plough through the Showgrounds pitch. United didn’t allow the pitch damage to affect them as they took the lead with virtually their first attack. Fitzy and Randal Reid were involved in the move, with the young striker cutting in from the right and when his pass was diverted to Fitzy, his goalbound effort was deliberately handled by leftback Kyle Neil. Referee Frankie Hiles pointed to the spot and then cautioned the visitor’s leftback for his infringement. Up stepped United’s central defender Gary Haveron and he hammered the ball into the net under the diving body of Glen’s keeper Elliot Morris. The Glens stepped up the pace after this setback and United hung on desperately, but goalkeeper Paul Murphy tried to calm his defenders down, by making a couple of good interceptions. Just when it seemed United had weathered the storm their defence was breached. Gary Hamilton despite the attentions of Albert Watson managed to drive a cross into the box, where Aaron Callaghan completely sliced his attempted clearance and in the ensuing scramble Callaghan’s attempted clearance on the goal-line hit Albert Watson and trickled into the United net, to level the scores at one apiece. Two minutes later Hamilton elbowed United striker Randal Reid, when the young striker was helping his defence out at a corner and he had to leave the field with a facial injury. Referee Frankie Hiles saw nothing and didn’t even give a free kick. Kevin Kelbie took Randal’s place, but United were still under the cosh and Murphy again came to his side’s rescue with a point blank save from a McCann piledriver. Aiden Watson had to get attention to a damaged wrist and then became the second player to be cautioned when he over-ran the ball when carrying it out of defence. This was practically his last kick as he was then substituted, with Gareth Scates taking his place. United were unlucky not to go in ahead at halftime when a Kelbie shot was cleared off the line after good work by Picking and Fitzy.
Ten minutes into the second half United deservedly took the lead when after a foul on Murphy, Kevin Kelbie got on the end of a Scates free kick, to head the ball past Murphy and give United a 2-1 lead. Three minutes later Darren Murphy was adjudged to have fouled Glen’s fullback Colin Nixon and as he walked away Glen’s number 11, Peter McCann kicked out at the United player. As this happened in front the dugouts, Glens manager Paul Millar and Murphy seemed to square up to each other. When the dust had settled, the upshot was a free kick to Glentoran and a booking for Murphy and McCann. Dixon, who had appeared to be critically injured, was just bluffing and he proved this a short time later with a speedy dribble up the right wing. Taking a return pass from Hamilton he gave Paul Murphy no chance from twenty yards with a daisy cutter, not bad for a man who had appeared to be critically injured. Darren Murphy was then substituted by United with Stuarty King taking his place. Stuarty was to play a vital part in United’s winner, again scored by Kevin Kelbie. After Fitzy had set Kelbie on a run at the Glen’s defence, first beating former United Captain Gary Smyth, who clipped the striker’s heels, he then took the ball away from the Glen’s keeper and when his cross came in, it was headed for a corner with Fitzy lurking. Stuarty King’s corner from the right was partially cleared, but Mark Picking played it deftly to King again and Kelbie rose majestically to head his cross into the net. The United fans, myself included, were deliriously happy and began taunting the caravan dwellers from East Belfast. Glen’s manager Paul Millar replaced McCann with Jason Hill and he was decidedly lucky to stay on the field, when he scythed down Mark Picking in full flight, Frankie Hiles merely cautioned him. Then we witnessed one of those bizarre incidents, which leave most people in the ground confused as to what is the rule. Jason Hill was involved once more and when tackled by Fitzy he lay on the ball. As Fitzy attempted to winkle the ball loose, Frankie Hiles blew for a halt, which I thought meant a free kick to us. Before Frankie could reach the incident Glen’s central defender Paul Leeman quite clearly punched the United player, a clear sending off offence. The referee merely cautioned Leeman and then as if to add insult to injury, awarded the free kick to the visitors. In a last throw of the dice Millar then brought on Chris Morgan in place of Kyle Neil and the visitors went to 3 at the back. United went into a fairly defensive mode at this point and despite a few scares held out fairly comfortably, with keeper Murphy a calming influence at the back. Despite four minutes of added stoppage time, United held on for a notable victory and three vital points. I’ve now decided that I’ll hang up my stocking next Christmas Eve, there’s definitely more going on here than meets the eye!
P. Murphy 8 Patrick 7 MoM: P. Murphy
Callaghan 6 Reid 7
McClean 7 Fitzy 7
Aid Watson 6 D. Murphy 7 Referee: F. Hiles 4
Alb Watson 8 1st Sub: Kelbie 8
Haveron 8 2nd Sub; Scates 7
Picking 7 3rd Sub: King 7
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