Jammy Dodgers!

Any United fan who turned up for yesterday’s game against Amateur league team Comber Rec, hoping for a moral boosting win, went home disappointed. United enjoyed a lion’s share of the possession, but for all their efforts all they had to show at the end of the day was one solitary goal. The optimists will tell you that was all that was needed, as the prime requirement was to be in the next round and they are in the next round. But the purists, like myself, were looking for a convincing win, just to give us a wee confidence boost. But as is usual for United against lesser opposition they struggled and were probably a shade lucky to get through without a replay being necessary. Manager Tommy Wright restored Paul Brown to the starting line-up in place of Stuart King who was relegated to the subs bench, Picking went back to his more normal right-wing position, with Melaugh taking King’s place on the left-wing. New signing Simon Kelly, as expected made his debut alongside Captain Albert Watson at the expense of young Gareth McConaghie, which in turn released Aaron Callaghan to his more familiar rightback position. United could and probably should’ve got off to a brilliant start, when Picking found Kelbie with a neat cross, but the strikers weak header was straight at the visiting keeper. The visitors then missed a chance when one of their strikers shot weakly and Paul Murphy saved easily. After United’s debut boy Kelly was harshly adjudged to have fouled a visiting forward, former United player Jim McCloskey’s curled free kick, luckily eluded everybody in the penalty area. United took the lead almost immediately when Picking and Callaghan combined well down the right and even though the fullback’s cross was poor, the visitor’s defenders got themselves in a tangle and striker Paul Brown hammered the ball into the roof of the net from six yards out. The big striker who prior to last week had scored a disappointing 2 goals in a United jersey, has now doubled his tally to four. Surely now the floodgates would open I thought, but as usual I was wrong. Kevin Kelbie did get the ball in the visitor’s net with a neat chip, but the goal was ruled out by a late flag from the linesman, which looked harsh, but I was along way away from the incident and must give the official the benefit of the doubt. Gavin Melaugh failed to test the keeper from 25 yards with a free kick, surely the first rule must be to make the keeper attempt to save the shot. The rest of the half was a poor reflection on the Premier league team and the 130 or so visiting supporters said as much in their song ‘Premier league, your having a laugh’ and I had to agree with them.

In the second-half United enjoyed almost complete domination, but only carved out two clear cut chances that I can remember. First Kevin Kelbie found himself inside the penalty box on his favourite left foot, but with a clear view of the target screwed his shot miles wide of the goal. The other chance was created by United’s best player Paul Brown who swivelled and hit a thunderous left-foot shot which the Rec keeper tipped over the bar. The United manager took Picking off midway through the half, bringing on King to the left, with Melaugh reverting back to the right side of midfield. Melaugh and Callaghan raided constantly down the United right, but failed to put in a telling cross to unlock the visitors defence. Comber to their credit kept plugging away and the worry was that United would present them with one chance and they would take it. A banner on the visitor’s stand proclaimed that United’s Garth Scates was a Comber man and he almost proved to be their saviour ten minutes from time. Latching onto a loose ball 35 yards from his own goal and under no pressure, he decided to play it back to his own keeper. A Comber forward read it perfectly but United keeper Murphy just managed to beat him to the ball and clear it from danger. United Captain Albert Watson got the benefit of the doubt from referee Burns, when a Comber forward fell over in the box after a challenge from the United player. Comber’s keeper was injured in a challenge and play was held up for a couple of minutes while he received treatment. He was able to continue but was noticeably limping, but the United forwards failed to take advantage of his handicap. Tommy Wright took off the ineffective Kelbie and brought on the fit again Darren Fitzgerald. Despite getting a couple of openings Fitzy was unable to test the Comber keeper and despite the added 4 minutes of stoppage time the game ended with a one nil victory. The home fans duly applauded the Comber team at the end of the game, relieved that a replay wasn’t necessary but knowing that if their team was to progress further in the competition, they would need a vast improvement. When United were drawn first out of the hat for the quarter-finals we held our collective breaths and heard that we were at home to holders Linfield in the next round, yes a vast improvement is required, but we are at home and hopefully that will be in our favour.

P. Murphy 7 Patrick 6 MoM: Brown

Callaghan 5 Brown 8

McClean 6 Kelbie 5

Scates 6 Melaugh 5 Referee: C. Burns 5

Alb. Watson 6 1^st Sub: King 6

Kelly 7 2^nd Sub: Fitzy 5

Picking 5