Due Rewards!

Just for a change United lost at Stangmore Park today, I know I'm being ironic here as it's usual for us to lose at Stangmore Park, but it was the manner of our defeat that was so galling. United manager Tommy Wright abandoned his 4,1,4,1, formation, but selected at least one surprise player and made a poor positional change. He selected Davitt Walsh to spearhead the attack with Kevin Kelbie, but for some reason known only to himself, moved Scatesy onto the right wing, a position he can't play and subsequently was a virtual passenger throughout the game. In another strange move he selected Lee Patrick in centre midfield, where his distinct lack of pace was brutally exploited by the Swifts midfield. Simon Kelly was dropped to the subs bench, while the versatile Gary Haveron didn't even make the panel. United won the toss and elected to play down the slope, with a strong wind at their backs and which they struggled to use to their advantage. The home team on the other hand were taking the game to United who seemed reluctant to put in any worthwhile tackles. The Swifts almost took the lead when the United defence were caught napping by a short corner, the first of many times today, and former player Austen Friel's header was tipped over by the alert Murphy. A surprise inclusion in the Dungannon team was former United player Darren Murphy, who had informed the Sky Blues that he was retiring from football and supposedly returned to Dungannon as reserve team manager. In a spell of rare United pressure they forced a couple of corners, but couldn't find the vital breakthrough. We also won a free kick about 25 yards from goal, but in the absence of our 'dead ball experts', Kelly and Haveron, Gavin Melaugh's shot cleared the defensive wall and the home team's crossbar. The home team almost took the lead near halftime, when striker McAllister headed against the bar and United were able to scramble the ball for another corner. The 4th official signalled for one minute of stoppage time, even though there had been virtually no stoppages, but referee Trevor Moutray actually played almost 2 minutes.

United came out for the second half with a bit of renewed vigour and took the lead after 49 minutes, when Melaugh took a pass from Scatesy and beat former United keeper Dwayne Nelson with a tremendous left foot shot from thirty yards, which screamed into the net. Two minutes later the home defence got into a tangle and Walsh just failed to get a touch with Nelson and his defenders in a real mix-up. Dungannon stepped up the pace and we could see that Lee Patrick was a virtual passenger at this stage, but our manager took no action. A Dungannon player went down injured and play was held up for a good 2 minutes while he got treatment, why couldn't he have been taken off and the game could've continued is beyond me. With 71 minutes on the clock disaster struck for United, Albert Watson saw a through ball glance off his head and home striker McAllister shielded the ball before turning Tommy Wray and beating Murphy from 15 yards. Two minutes later it was 2-1, when the United defence, allowed a cross to come over and McAllister headed past Murphy once more to give his team a 2-1 lead. United manager Tommy Wright finally woke from his slumbers and made three changes, taking off, Patrick, Scatesy and Walsh and bringing on Aiden Watson, Stephen Lowry and Mike Ward. Despite putting the home team under some pressure United couldn't find the vital breakthrough. They did however create one good opening when Lowry nipped in between Nelson and his defence, much like Walsh had done earlier, but his shot missed the target. Craig McClean was the object of a brutal tackle from Austen Friel, unpunished by the referee and had to have a full minute's treatment from the United physio. Dungannon had also made two substitutions during the second half and it was a total surprise to me when the fourth official signalled for just 3 minutes of stoppage time, when we had had at least 3 minutes lost due to injuries, never mind the substitutions. The referee on this occasion didn't play a second over the alloted time, but even if he had played all night I don't think there was another goal in us. So United continue in 'free fall' and if they don't get back to winning soon, they'll be lucky to finish in the top half of the league, very lucky indeed!


Murphy 7 Melaugh 7 MoM: Melaugh

Wray 6 Walsh 5

McClean 6 Kelbie 6

Patrick 5 King 5 Referee: T. Moutray 3

Alb Watson 6 1st Sub: Lowry 6

Pooley 6 2nd Sub: Aid Watson 6

Scatesy 5 3rd Sub: Ward 6

Caught Napping!

The one thing United needed to avoid today at home to Linfield was a bad start, but they were caught out with only 4 minutes on the clock. Albert Watson failed to get a tackle on Glenn Ferguson and he played the ball into Oran Kearney's path and he sprinted through the flat footed United defence before planting the ball past United keeper Paul Murphy. United had began the game with a strange formation, with Mark Picking on the right-side of midfield and Simon Kelly at the centre of a 5 man midfield. This meant no place for the 'hard tackling' Gary Haveron, whose dogged determination was sadly missed, while second top goalscorer Davitt Walsh was left on the bench also. After going a goal down so early on United were in a 'backs to the wall' scenario for most of the first half and on the few occasions they did manage to break out of defence, the Linfield offside trap easily caught Kevin kelbie out. Linfield forced corner after corner without really troubling the United defence, but keeper Murphy was called on to save his team mates blushes when he somehow stopped a Thompson shot after the United defence had gone A.W.O.L. once more. United's task was not eased by a completely biased refereeing display from Adrian McCourt, when in any doubt he gave the decision to the visitors and demonstrated this when giving them a throw-in, when the ball clearly deflected off a visiting player. The only cheer for the home fans came when a long distance shot from Craig McClean cleared the Linfield crossbar. Somehow the Sky Blues held out until halftime and we all hoped for manager Wright to make a change or at least abandon his five man midfield ploy.

United took the field for the second half with the same team and the same formation and despite forcing the pace during the first 15 minutes of the half, couldn't get the vital breakthrough. During this spell Linfield's luck came to their rescue when a shot from United striker Kelbie hit keeper Alan Manus who knew little or nothing about the shot, but saved a certain goal. Linfield went on the attack again and Kearney protested his innocence to the referee when the whistle sounded, but the official had blown for an innocuous foul for the visitors, that only he had noticed, but Ferguson blasted the resultant free kick over the bar. Shortly afterwards there were signs of stirrings on the United bench but as usual it took several more minutes to get things organised. Before the change could be made Linfield made the game safe with a 2nd goal, yet another disaster for the United defence. A Linfield player was allowed to run right through the middle of the sluggish home midfield and was allegedly tripped by Watson on the edge of the box. Referee Adrian McCourt, who had given us nothing throughout the game, blew for a foul on the edge of the box and yellow carded the United Captain. From the resultant free kick former United player Oran Kearney bent the ball past the United wall to give Linfield a 2 goal lead. United finally made their substitution, with Walsh replacing Picking, but of course it was too little too late. United did however pull a goal back when Dean Pooley converted a Stuart King corner, but it was ruled out for some infringement or other. Garth Scates, a virtual passenger throughout the game also set up Davitt Walsh, but his shot was blocked as was Scates follow up effort. Linfield striker Glenn Ferguson took a blatant dive in the box, but referee McCourt, who had booked two United players for dissent ignored the infringement. In a last throw of the dice United took off Stuart King and Gavin Melaugh, bringing on Lee Patrick and young reserve player Lee Colligan. These substitutions had little or no impact and in fact Linfield added two more goals as the United defence wilted again. Firstly the United markers went missing at a corner allowing substitute Tim Mouncey a free header after 88 minutes and then a poorly hit back pass by Dean Pooley was chased down by Linfield striker Thompson and Paul Murphy blotted his copybook, when instead of 'hoofing' the ball into the stand he played it against the striker and he was left with the simple task of slotting the ball into the empty net. In the added time Mouncey headed a fifth goal, but luckily this was ruled out for offside, although it was the best move of the match. This defeat means the Sky Blues have failed to win since beating Glentoran on New Year's Day and in fact in their last 7 games have lost 4 and drawn 3, it's time I think to stop the rot!

Murphy 7 Scates 5 MoM: Murphy

Wray 6 Melaugh 5

McClean 6 Kelbie 6

Kelly 6 King 5 Referee: A. McCourt 3

Watson 6 1st Sub: Walsh 6

Pooley 6 2nd Sub: Colligan 6

Picking 6 3rd Sub: Patrick 5

Long View!

I had hoped to bring a match report on tonight's game at Shamrock Park, but I was so far away from the action, I couldn't really say for sure what happened. I do know that Kevin Kelbie notched United's goal in the 30th minute in the net that was at least 110 yards away from me, but despite dominating the rest of the first half we were unable to get another goal. When the teams took the field for the second period (on second thoughts we didn't come out for the 2nd period), home manager Ronnie McFall, made a double substitution and one of the players he brought on was former United player, Jamie Marks. This was the beginning of the end for the Sky Blues as Jamie Marks aided and abetted by the referee, kicked lumps out of our players and they in turn visibly wilted. It seemed only a matter of time before the home team got back on terms and from a Gareth McKeown long throw-in they so very nearly did, but United keeper Paul Murphy was playing the hero against his former club and saved the visitors. Despite Murphy's efforts the breakthrough finally came 20 minutes into the second half, when Portadown scored an equaliser from a free kick, or at least that's what I was told. Two minutes later with United still under severe pressure, Gary Haveron unfortunately headed into his own net to give the home team a 2-1 lead, when attempting to deal with another Mckeown long throw-in . United had begun the game with Haveron restored to the team in a 5 man midfield, with Davitt Walsh wide on the right. At this point manager Wright took off Walsh and brought on Lee Patrick, a most confusing decision to put it mildly. United fans were crying for David Cushley to be introduced in place of the ineffective Stuart King, but the United manager ignored their pleas. With 70 minutes on the clock he did introduce Randal Reid to the fray, taking off the limping Gary Haveron and suddenly we looked like a different team. We did manage to carve out an opening soon after, but as luck would have it the chance fell to Stuarty King and with the goal at his mercy he hit it straight at the keeper and the chance was lost. Kevin Kelbie had a shot that shaved the post as United probed for an equaliser, but the vital opening eluded us. Stephen Lowry was introduced in place of Craiggers McClean, but United had by this time 'blown their chances' and the home team held out for a victory which meant they leapfrogged United into 5th place in the league table.

Murphy 8 Scates 6 MoM Kelbie

Wray 7 Melaugh 7

McClean 7 Kelbie 8

Haveron 6 King 5

Watson 7 ist Sub: Patrick 6

Kelly 6 2nd Sub: Reid 7

Walsh 6 3rd Sub: Lowry 6