Goosey's Revenge!

There's an old saying that 'revenge is a dish which is better eaten cold' and former United keeper Goosey Robinson took his revenge on United manager Tommy Wright during the penalty shoot-out of last night's cup replay. One of the first things Wright did on arrival at the Showgrounds was to release keeper Robinson and the team have since struggled to find an adequate replacement until quite recently. United once more failed to deliver the goods, at least four times they should've rendered penalties unnecessary, but in the end they literally paid 'the penalty' for their poor finishing. There was only one change to the starting line-up, Ward replacing Fitzy, which meant United continuing with their 4,5,1 formation, which, although it has worked fairly well recently, is still a negative approach. Striker Kevin kelbie was too often ploughing a lone furrow up front as the midfield failed to get up to back him. United's first chance fell to Stuarty King, but as usual he failed to find the target from 20 yards, with Goosey well beaten. United forced six corners in the first period but never looked like scoring from any of them, a terrible indictment on the United coaching staff. Newry were playing some nice 'one touch' football and United keeper Murphy had to be alert just getting a hand to a Morgan cross, which saved the day. United had two claims for a penalty dismissed by referee Davey Malcolm (who had a terrible game), midway through the half. First Gary Haveron was tripped as he attempted to lay a pass to Kelbie and then in the follow-up move there was a deliberate hand ball ignored by the Belfast official. Stuarty King in the same move should've opened the score but with Robinson out of position his feeble shot allowed the keeper to get back to smother the ball. Just after Murphy had saved the home team they broke away and Garth Scates headed the ball over the bar when it looked easier to score. Newry were continuing to test the United back four but the in form Simon Kelly helped the team survive until halftime and keep the scores level.

Manager Wright made no changes during the interval and United continued with the same formation and the same players. New boy Michael Ward wriggled past his marker in the penalty box, but almost had his arm pulled from it's socket, a cast 'iron' penalty, ignored by both referee and linesman. At the other end Murphy was at full stretch as Morgan attempted to 'chip' him, but the United keeper clawed the ball out of the air. With 20 minutes gone a change was needed, but there was no action from the United bench. Then there were unsuccessful penalty appeals at both ends of the pitch, first Mike Ward was hauled down as he sprinted into the box and then Morgan went down under a Kelly challenge but referee Malcolm seemed to have decided there would be no penalties during normal time in this game. Scates missed another glorious chance when Goosey parried a Ward effort he somehow hit it over the bar, a glaring miss. With 10 minutes remaining the United bench sprung into action, but in a surprise move striker Ward was removed, with winger Picking taking his place, a not very positive tactic, which baffled me and the majority of United fans. Kevin Kelbie was occasionally winning headers but no United players were willing to gamble on this and chances were lost. Newry almost broke the deadlock, when Morgan, looking suspiciously offside broke clear but his shot was saved by Murphy once more. After the 90 minutes the score was still 0-0 and extra time was played. The 15 minutes each way failed to produce a breakthrough though Kelbie had a chance as he took a Picking pass, but a Newry defender got back to deflect the ball for United's 12th corner of the match. Gavin Melaugh then just failed to get enough on a header from a Picking cross, which would have given United victory , but it fell into the grateful arms of Goosey. During the first period of extra time the United manager had made a substitution, taking off Scates and bringing on Lee Patrick, yet another hard to fathom tactic. With time running out and the dreaded penalties looming I thought surely we'll see joint top scorer Davitt Walsh being brought on, but it didn't happen and United finished the game having only used two of their alloted 3 subs. I have never liked penalty shoot-outs and I somehow knew I wasn't going to like this one. Newry took the first penalty and scored and when I saw who United had elected to take theirs I buried my head in my hands and Goosey easily saved Stuarty Kings feeble effort. Newry converted their next and up stepped United Captain Albert Watson to convert for the home team, to leave the score at 2-1 for the visitors. Newry scored their next and then Kevin Kelbie scored for United. Newry then made it 100% with their fourth and the unfortunate Gary Haveron had his effort saved by Goosey and United had gone out of the cup for yet another year. It's hard to understand our manager's thinking on this one as he had our joint leading goalscorer and a man who has never missed from the spot, Davitt Walsh on the bench, but he didn't bring him on. He would surely have been the man to take the first penalty, but it has left United with only one objective, a high finish in the league, the Irish cup has eluded us for another year and the trophy famine goes on.


Murphy 8 Scates 6 MoM: Murphy

Wray 7 Ward 7

McClean 7 Kelbie 7

Haveron 7 King 5 Referee: D. Malcolm 2

Watson 7 1st Sub: Picking 6

Kelly 8 2nd Sub: Patrick 6

Melaugh 7