United Fans!

This was probably the most explosive and most fascinating games involving the Sky Blues that I have ever attended. For forty minutes this tie ebbed along with little to commend it, United's Craig McClean booked by referee Mark Courtenay for dissent, noticed only by himself but otherwise nothing too exciting, though Simon Kelly preferred in central defence alongside United Captain Albert Watson, did hit a 40 yard free kick just over the bar and Gavin Melaugh saw his snap shop saved by visiting keeper Phillip Matthews. The match sprung to life after 40 minutes when United's Mike Ward (Wardy), starting his second game in succession chased a long ball down the right wing, beyond the last defender in the visitors team, only to be scythed down by goalkeeper Phillip Matthews. As the letter of the law stands this offence is a 'mandatory' red card, but referee Courtenay chose to ignore the 'directive' on this occasion and merely flourished a yellow card, a weak and insipid decision. In time added on at the end of the first half two Distillery defenders were cautioned as United stepped up the pressure but halftime was reached with the match scoreless.

United stepped on the gas in the second half and took a deserved lead in the 48th minute, when after keeper Matthews had fumbled a Stuarty King inswinging corner, defender Kelly crashed the ball into the net. One minute later all hell broke loose, when after United keeper Paul Murphy was fouled while going for a cross, ignored by referee Courtenay, Simon Kelly appeared to stop the ball with his chest, but the referee deemed it a deliberate handball. This time he did adhere to the letter of the wall and red carded the United player. Whites striker Darren Armour blasted the resultant penalty into the net to level the scores. United made a substitution at this stage, with winger Stephen Lowry making way for Gary Haveron to slot into defence alongside Watson. Despite having ten men United continued to press forward and when they won a corner on the left, Gavin Melaugh delivered a 'peach' of a corner kick and Albert Watson headed it majestically into the net to restore United's lead. Disaster struck for United shortly after when Stuarty King's pass fell short and Craig McClean caught Whites winger McCann with a clumsy challenge. Referee Courtenay called the United man over and flourished a yellow card, Craig's second of the day and an automatic sending off. With United reduced to 9 players now, Wardy made way for Lee Patrick, leaving Kelbie to fight a lone battle up front. This the United striker did very well and referee Courtenay allowed visiting defender Paul Muir to get off with a tackle on the United striker when he was the last man, without even drawing a yellow card on this occasion. The United goal had a few close shaves as the visitors pressed forward at every opportunity, with the crossbar coming to their rescue on one occasion. United keeper Paul Murphy was caught by an unfair challenge, but referee Courtenay refused to stop play and the United man had to get up and kick the ball into touch in order to get treatment. Distillery defender Muir (not only a former United player, but a local man to boot), ran to the thrower and told him not to give the ball back to Ballymena as is normal in these circumstances. Muir and United manager Tommy Wright then had an altercation and the referee had a word with them both. Whites striker Nathan McConnell knocked the ball away from Murphy illegally, but the referee took no action except to give the foul. The fourth official indicated that 5 minutes would be added and a minute into this added time disaster struck once more for United. McConnell once more challenged the United keeper with a 'vicious' elbow delivered to his jaw and referee Courtenay merely flourished an ineffectual yellow card. The United keeper was unable to continue and had to be stretchered off with Kevin Kelbie bravely volunteering to take over in nets with Walsh coming on up front. Even allowing for the stoppage due to Murphy's injury referee Courtenay played well over the alloted 5 minutes and it was no surprise when the visitors got an undeserved equaliser. This was bad enough, but the biggest insult was that the scorer was McConnell who shouldn't have been on the field after his elbowing of the United keeper. The angry scenes at the end of the game were a result of Paul Muir inciting the United fans and taunting them about the score. As the teams left the field United manager Tommy Wright, who quite rightly in my opinion refused to shake hands with the visitors, was involved in an altercation with visiting manager and another former United player, Paul Kirk. The United fans surrounded the tunnel and there were some violent scenes and Paul Muir's face was completely devoid of colour as he crept away from the Showgrounds pitch. No doubt United will be taken to task over these closing scenes and referee Courtenay suffered the ignominy of leaving the pitch under police guard covered by a raincoat. But in the end most of this trouble was down to him and his inept handling of the game and he is the one who must live with his conscience !


Murphy 9 Scates 8 MoM: Watson

Wray 8 Wardy 8

McClean 8 Kelbie 9

Melaugh 8 King 8 Referee: M. Courtenay 0

Watson 9 1st Sub: Haveron 8

Kelly 8 2nd Sub: Patrick 8

Lowry 8 3rd Sub: Walsh 7