Big Mac!

Glentoran came to the Showgrounds with a 100% record yesterday and left with an easy victory, thanks partly to more benevolent defending by the Sky Blues defence. United's preparations weren't helped by the fact that they were minus both fullbacks from last week's victory at Glenavon. Aaron Callaghan was missing through injury, while Nigel Boyd whose cause has been championed by Sky Blue Sport, was attending a family wedding. Boydie's attitude has been called into question after this recent escapade and we're left to wonder if he's really committed to the United cause. Top scorer Davitt Walsh was missing due to an unspecified illness but will hopefully be available for next Wednesday's County Antrim Shield semi-final at home to Crusaders. United manager Tommy Wright said in the programme that United needed to take something from their next 5 games starting today, which are against teams who finished in the top six last season. If that was the case why did he select an adventurous team with two strikers and two wingers instead of packing the midfield and defence, while hoping to snatch something at the other end. Thomas Wray and Craig McClean were given a chance at right and left-back respectively, but I'm afraid Wray in particular was unimpressive. Randall Reid was given another chance up front in place of Walsh and even though he came closest to scoring, he still looks rather raw to say the least. Glentoran opened the scoring after only 9 minutes when referee Turkington (or should I say excuse for a referee Turkington) gave a dubious free kick to the visitors for an alleged foul by United Captain Albert Watson against Glens striker Gary Hamilton. This decision which was clearly six on one hand and half a dozen on the other, was to prove the undoing of the United defence. Hamilton's driven free kick appeared from my vantage point to go into the net directly, with the United defence looking on, but according to Radio Ulster commentators (and who am I to argue with such educated gentlemen who rarely know their left from their right), the 'one ball wonder', Rory Hamill actually deflected it past the flat footed Paul Murphy. Incredibly United survived the rest of the half, due mainly to over-elaboration by the visitors and a good save from Murphy from a Kyle Neill free kick. United's only efforts early on failed to trouble the Glens stand-in keeper Dougherty (well known by United fans and ball boys). In fact their were only two as I remember, one was when Kevin Kelbie cut inside and blasted wildly over the bar and the other was when Garth Scates got on the end of a Cushley cross but could only deflect the ball wide. United's best spell of the half came just before halftime and we then saw the other side of this Glentoran team, aided and abetted by this inept referee, Brian Turkington. David Cushley, who had already been punched by Daryl Fordyce (the player Tommy Wright told us would only come to the Showgrounds and nowhere else), was then fouled and punched by Colin Nixon, which should've brought a straight red card, referee Turkington didn't even admonish the culprit. Two minutes later when Cushley burst past Nixon once more, Fordyce came in with a crunching tackle which this time at did draw a yellow card from the referee. Nixon was determined to try the referee's patience and he came in with an 'over the top' tackle on young Craig McClean which should've drawn a straight red, but the inept official merely flourished an ineffective yellow card. This tackle is known throughout the game as the 'leg break' tackle and should in my opinion draw a mandatory red card regardless of whoever commits it. The Glens 'rough tactics' had the desired effect and young Cushley in particular treated the ball like it was a 'hot potato' for the rest of the game.

One minute into the second-half and the game was over as a contest when United keeper Paul Murphy 'flapped' at a corner and the unmarked Gary Hamilton had the easy task of heading into the United net. United's best player Mark Picking did have a couple of chances for the home side, but one narrowly went wide, while another was deflected for a corner, but given as a by-ball by Mr. Ineptitude Turkington. Manager Wright finally took off the misfiring Cushley with young Paul McNeill taking his place. After 65 mins Gary Haveron blasted a free kick over the bar which would maybe have given the home team some hope, but I doubt it. With 20 minutes left the United defence went asleep once more when after Wray had needlessly given away possession, Hamilton steered Neill's cross past the flatfooted Murphy. Hamilton did look a mite offside but lines-person Annette Rogan was rarely up with play and the goal stood. Two minutes later Gary Haveron, who had a game he will want to forget, headed into the path of Glens striker Halliday and he rounded Murphy before slotting home. At 4 nil there was no way back for United and what does our manager do, he takes off his worst defender, Gary Haveron (understandable) and his best player, Mark Picking. Picking has to be commended here as it was obvious he contemplated throwing his shirt off in disgust, but like the true professional he is he resisted the temptation. I was personally astounded as were most of the home fans and this led to a fairly mass exodus of those said fans and who could blame them? Lee Patrick and Johnny Flynn were their replacements and to their credit United didn't let in any more goals. In fact the fans that left missed United's best chance when Dougherty (the man who hates ball boys, or did I say that earlier), did a Paul Murphy (flapped at a cross) and Randal Reid's overhead kick came off the post and was cleared. This just about summed up United's luck on the day, when if it wasn't for 'bad luck', they wouldn't have had any luck at all. That said I'm a firm believer in teams making their own luck and hopefully we'll make plenty on Wednesday night, as for this match I think it's best to forget it, who wants to win the league anyway, not me I can assure you, it'd only play havoc with my summer holidays and they're set in stone!


Murphy 5 Melaugh 7 MoM: Picking

Wray 4 Reid 5

McClean 6 Kelbie 6

Scates 5 Cushley 5 Referee: B. Turkington 1

Watson 6 1st Sub: McNeill 6

Haveron 4 2nd Sub: Flynn 6

Picking 7 3rd Sub: Patrick 6