Picked Bare!

With just one game remaining United stay in 9^th position in the league table, but they’re now only a point behind Dungannon Swifts, so it’s all to play for next Saturday. Three points next week would mean we would score the same number of points (45), as last season and we’ll all be left to reflect on ‘what might have been’s’ during the close season. United manager Tommy Wright made two changes to his starting line-up of last Saturday, Fitzy coming in for the injured David Cushley and reserve keeper Sean O’Neill getting a start in place of Paul Murphy. The bench consisted of Paul Brown, Aiden Watson and Boydie. United got off to a flyer against already relegated Loughgall, taking the lead with just 3 minutes on the clock. Kevin Kelbie met a Stephen Lowry corner with a firm header to give visiting keeper Marc Robinson no chance. The lead however was short lived as from a long clearance from the visiting keeper, young O’Neill in the home goal found himself out of position, and the ball bounced over him into the net. The goal was credited to Loughgall striker Stevie Coulter, but I thought it went in straight from the keeper’s clearance. United carved out a marvellous opening 10 minutes later and Fitzy burst through on goal, only to shoot tamely at keeper Robinson. Loughgall then mounted a couple of attacks themselves and O’Neill distinguished himself with a couple of good saves. Fitzy missed yet another chance when ‘one on one’ with the keeper as United strove to get back in the lead. Fitzy then completed an unwanted hat-trick, when he missed a third chance after he yet again burst through the Loughgall defence, but this time he screwed his shot miles wide, without troubling the keeper. United got their noses in front once again, when after some good work up the left wing between Lowry and McClean, the latter’s low cross came in and Kelbie pounced to volley his and United’s second goal, with a sweet left-foot strike. That goal came in the 42^nd minute and Fitzy still had time to shoot tamely at the visitor’s goal again before referee McLaughlin brought the half to a close.

United stepped up the pressure in the second period, but were unable to turn their superiority into goals, although some of the interchanging of passes between Picking and Callaghan on the right flank was very entertaining. From one Callaghan cross Gary Haveron forced the visiting keeper into a good save from a powerful header. United finally made the match safe after 62 minutes, when after a good run down the right, Picking found Scates with a cross and the United midfielder fired home his fifth goal of the season and United’s third. Referee McLaughlin cautioned a visiting player five minutes later for a trip on Kelbie about 25 yards from goal, and keeper Robinson denied Haveron once more, tipping his fierce free kick over the bar. The United manager made three changes to his line-up over the closing stages, firstly replacing Scates with Aiden Watson and then after Fitzy had passed rather than shoot on a couple of occasions, he made way for big Paul Brown. Kevin Kelbie was denied a hat-trick for the second successive home game, when Robinson tipped his thunderbolt shot over the bar. Stephen Lowry had made way for Boydie prior to this effort and in fact it was Boydie who supplied Kelbie with the pass. The United defence ably marshalled by Albert Watson and Simon Kelly were put under a wee bit of pressure by the visitors, but held out quite easily in the end. United got a fourth goal deep into injury time when Simon Kelly headed a Mark Picking corner past Robinson, his first goal for the club, to clinch United’s biggest win of the season. Now all we need is a win against Newry next Saturday and that’ll wrap things up quite nicely for another season!

O’Neill 7 Scates 7 MoM: Kelbie

Callaghan 7 Lowry 7

Mclean 7 Kelbie 8

Haveron 7 Fitzy 5 Referee: M. McLaughlin 5

Alb Watson 7 1^st Sub: Aid Watson 6

Kelly 8 2^nd Sub: Brown 6

Picking 8 3^rd Sub: Boydie 7