Late Show!

United stretched their unbeaten run to 14 games today, but they left it late, in fact very late. United lined up today, with team captain Albert Watson back in harness alongside Simon Kelly in the centre of defence. Young Johnny Flynn was in the stand and rumours were 'rife' that the West Belfast teenager was on his way to English Premier side Blackburn Rovers, but I was unable to confirm this with a United official. As expected Garth Scates returned in midfield, which meant no place for Lee Patrick, but the United manager did spring a surprise by playing Fitzy on the right of his 5 man midfield, instead of the more versatile Stephen Lowry or the veteran Mark Picking. United began the game in determined fashion and with barely 3 minutes on the clock Stuarty King intercepted a loose crossfield pass, but drove his shot harmlessly wide when a shot on target would have been more profitable. Four minutes later top scorer Kevin Kelbie repeated the dose when after a neat bit of play between McClean and Melaugh he was left in the clear but dragged his shot harmlessly wide. Crues had a couple of long range efforts, both on target during the first 10 minutes also and the game was shaping up very nicely. United wasted yet another chance to take the lead after 17 minutes and this time Scates was the culprit shooting wide, when a score looked imminent. United not for the first time this season paid a heavy price for these scoring lapses, when the visitors took the lead with just 20 minutes on the clock. After winning a corner on United's right flank, visiting player Colin Coates rose unchallenged to head powerfully into the net. United didn't allow their heads to drop and Kelbie should've levelled things when he found himself unmarked in front of goal, but instead of hitting the shot with his right foot he tried to get on his favourite left and the chance was missed. With 30 minutes on the clock another incisive move down the left put Kelbie in the clear and his cross was flicked on by Scates but eluded the goals once more. The visitors unlocked the United defence a few minutes later and United keeper Paul Murphy pulled off a magnificent save from Crues leading scorer David Rainey, whose shot from inside the six yard box had goal written all over it. United then won a free kick about 30 yards from goal on the right side of the pitch and Gary Haveron's shot was parried by visiting keeper Aaron Kerr at the expense of a corner. Referee Alan Black seemed reluctant to bring the half to a close, when after the 4th official indicated an extra one minute, he allowed play to go on for another 90 seconds.

United resumed where they left off in the first half and Kevin kelbie should've levelled matters in the 50 th minute when he burst through on the left, only to decide to pass instead of shooting himself and once again the chance went begging. This miss proved rather costly when the visitors in a rare attack found an opening and a harmless looking shot by Steven Coulter took a deflection before trickling into the net to give the visitors a two goal cushion. United looked shell shocked and it was obvious changes would have to be made, but there was no action from the United bench. Fitzy was so obviously struggling in his unaccustomed midfield role and United fans were urging their manager to make a substitution. With 20 minutes gone in the half the United manager finally acted, but to our fans surprise he took off Gary Haveron and brought on Mark Picking, with Fitzy moving into a more attacking role. United still looked devoid of ideas and the visitors were looking dangerous in breakaways and it was hard to see where the openings were going to come from. Then fate took a hand, after referee Black had just warned a Crues player for his violent play and made it blatantly obvious that another indiscretion would not be tolerated. United's Mark Picking was breaking out of defence when Crues player Barry Spence came in with a two-footed tackle and referee Black immediately produced the red card. In the ensuing melee another Crues player was cautioned and United were thrown a lifeline. The visitors and their goalie had been wasting time since taking the lead and this was to come back and haunt them in the latter stages of this game. Manager Wright took off Fitzy finally, with new signing Michael Ward taking his place and suddenly the home team began to look dangerous. Ward, after a slow start created another opening for the Sky Blues when his driven cross was feebly met by Gavin Melaugh with the goal at his mercy. That chance came in the 85th minute and the United manager played his final trump card a minute later bringing on Davitt Walsh in place of Craig McClean. Just after Walsh came on, former United player Gary Smyth was cautioned for time wasting and that brought that particular ploy to an end. United got a deserved equaliser a moment later, when after incisive play by Ward down the left, the striker's shot was pushed onto the bar by keeper Kerr and Melaugh was on hand to force the rebound over the line. Referee Black punished the visitors for their time wasting by adding on 5 minutes of stoppage time and United threw everything at the visitors in the added on period. Albert Watson of all people, even had a shot saved by the Crues keeper, but it looked as if United would fall short. Three minutes into stoppage time United won a corner and keeper Paul Murphy added his weight to the attack, but to no avail. Then in the 94th minute United won a free kick on the edge of the box and Murphy sprinted up once more. Garth Scates took this kick and the ball fell to Davitt Walsh and he thundered a shot off the crossbar and into the net to level the scores and give United a richly deserved draw. The United fans were on their feet from then until the final whistle and until every player had left the field. In the end a draw was a fair result, but it probably was yet another chance lost!

Murphy 7 Scates 7 MoM: Melaugh

Wray 6 Melaugh 7

McClean 6 Kelbie 6

Haveron 6 King 6 Referee: A. Black 5

Watson 7 1st Sub: Picking 6

Kelly 7 2nd Sub: Ward 7

Fitzy 5 3rd Sub: Walsh 7