Gary Glitters!

United went to the Oval today with a 10 match unbeaten run and left it with an emphatic win and it was no more than they deserved. Gavin Melaugh, despite looking doubtful with an injury, made the United starting line-up and with Craiggers McClean returning after a bout of flu, Lee Patrick, had to drop down to the subs bench. Stephen Lowry, the goal scoring hero on Boxing Day also dropped down to the bench, with Mark Picking getting his first start since facing Linfield on October 20. After a minutes silence, observed reverently by every spectator, United began brightly and Stuart King darted past his marker before delivering a cross onto Kelbie's head. Unfortunately the United striker headed wide, when a score looked imminent. that was after 5 minutes and Stuarty repeated the dose 4 minutes later and this time it was Mark Picking who missed a glorious chance to give United the lead, but he headed wide also. As so often happens Glentoran took the lead against the run of play and the United defence stood by and watched. After a good run by Scullion the ball broke to midfielder Kyle Neill and his snap shot was brilliantly parried by United keeper Paul Murphy, it fell to Hamilton who fired goalwards once more, only for Murphy to block the shot once more, Hamilton however made no mistake with the rebound and Murphy rightly berated his defence. That goal came after 12 minutes and the home team threatened to blow United away for the next 10 minutes, but the United defence, ably managed by Captain Albert Watson, held firm. United began to come more into the game and during a sustained bit of pressure, forced three corners in succession. The linesman at the City end of the ground , which the Sky Blues were defending, seemed loath to raise his flag for offsides and home striker Halliday took advantage of the situation on a couple of occasions, luckily for United, keeper Murphy got his angles right and Halliday dragged two efforts wide. United's pressure finally told in the end when in the 42nd minute King fed the ball through for Scates and he shot under the advancing Morris to bring United level. Scates, who played his 150 th game for the club on Boxing Day was clearly delighted and he punched the sky with delight, in fact I have to say in all honesty, it's almost as good to watch this United team celebrate a goal, as it is to watch them score it. Halftime was reached with the scores level and in all honesty I'd have settled for that as the final score, but this United team had other ideas.

Five minutes into the second period the Glens took a fortuitous lead, when a Kyle Neill shot deflected past keeper Murphy, to put the home team 2-1 ahead. Although it was a fortuitous score, it was nonetheless richly deserved as the home team had come out with 'all guns blazing' and one could see the goal coming. United looked a little shell shocked at this stage but prompted by Gary Haveron and Thomas Wray, they slowly began to claw their way back into the game. A glens player came off second best in a tackle with United Captain Albert Watson and had to be stretchered off, with former Sky Blue, Rory Hamill taking his place. Rory, who had a 'colourful' spell at the Showgrounds, was to inadvertently give them a lifeline in this game. United were mounting an attack when Hamill foolishly handled a Picking pass giving United a free kick, about 30 yards from goal. Referee Davey Malcolm had earlier made the United wall retreat 12 yards from a Glens free kick and for once in this game, he played it 'fair and square' and made the Glens wall retreat the same distance. As Gary Haveron lined up the kick, I was unsure as to the outcome, but Gary, 'god love him', struck a beauty over the wall and into the right corner of the net. The United fans were rapturous and rightly so as they knew this was the turning point of the game. That goal came after 67 minutes and despite referee Malcolm, giving fouls against United for perfectly good tackles, they still stuck to their task and in the 74th minute took a deserved lead. Gavin Melaugh, a former Glens player got this one, popping up at the far post after a Stuarty king shot had been blocked by the Glens defence and scoring with a fierce left foot shot, his first United goal, but hopefully the first of many. Like a wounded animal the Glens surged forward in search of an equaliser, aided and abetted by some strange decisions from referee Malcolm. He pulled United up for what looked like good tackles and then when Kelby was fouled as he broke away, he waved play on. The United manager took off Garth Scates, with Lee Patrick taking his place and then Mark Picking made way for Stephen Lowry. As the home team surged forward, Craiggers was rightly booked for fouling Scullion, but at this stage we were under severe pressure, but holding out. In a last throw of the dice, the United manager took off Stuarty King with Cushley taking his place. Cushley wasted a good opportunity soon after, when he lost possession when fed by Kelbie. United were indebted to the woodwork, when a cross ricocheted off the bar and shortly after we witnessed the 'unsporting' side of the home side. United keeper Murphy went up and claimed a free kick, but was fouled by a home player in the process, although the referee didn't stop the game and the United keeper had to knock the ball into touch. After treatment from the physio, the glens, instead of giving the ball back as is the norm, knocked it into to touch and in my opinion signed their own death warrant. Deep into injury time, United's Stephen Lowry broke away before playing the ball to top scorer Kevin kelbie and he coolly waltzed round keeper Morris before planting the ball into the net to make it 4-2 for the Sky Blues. The Glens kicked off and referee Malcolm blew his whistle and United had completed their 11th game unbeaten and inflicted the first home defeat on the home team during this league campaign and even better, went home with three richly deserved points!


Murphy 8 Scates 8 MoM: Haveron

Wray 7 Melaugh 8

McClean 7 Kelbie 8

Haveron 8 King 7 Referee: D. Malcolm 3

Watson 7 1st Sub: Patrick 7

Flynn 7 2nd Sub: Lowry 7

Picking 6 3rd Sub: Cushley 6