Far Away!

That promising second half display against Glentoran last Tuesday night, was yet another 'false dawn', for this struggling United team. The fact that United went in at halftime only one goal down, was more to do with good luck, than good defending by the Sky Blues team. In fact if Bangor had been leading by three clear goals, there could've been no complaint from the pathetic home defence. Time and time again the visitors carved out opening for themselves, but some bad finishing and a bit of good goalkeeping managed to keep the scores level until almost the stroke of halftime. Bangor won a free kick on the edge of United's penalty area and when the cross came in centre half Fitzpatrick rose high above the static home defence to head his side into a one goal lead. One of the most 'galling' things from the point of view of United fans was the sight of former fullback Nigel Boyd, sprinting up and down the visitors left flank. Remember this was the man discarded by former United manager Tommy Wright and released at the start of this season, yet another 'gaffe' by the former United boss.

United to their credit came out with a renewed vigour and got their reward ten minutes into the second half. Firstly manager Roy Walker substituted Michael Ward with Mark Picking taking his place 8 minutes into the half and then 2 minutes later they squared things up. Kevin Kelbie, sprinted down the right before delivering a cross to the far post, where Liam Mullan shot home from an acute angle, to bring the scores level. United then went through a period of dominance and Kelbie was unlucky to see keeper Plummer block his shot with his knee. Next it was top scorer Neal Taggert who shot straight at the keeper when it looked easier to score. United wasted a couple of free kicks and then were hit with a 'killer' blow. Aiden Watson, who otherwise had a good game, failed to track back when a Bangor player made a run down the right, missed his tackle completely and the player squared the ball to Marty Verner who rifled it into the net to give his team the lead. United threw caution to the wind in the last 10 minutes, taking off first Aiden Watson, with Stuarty King taking his place and then bringing on Davitt Walsh at the expense of Tommy Wray. But it was all to no avail and United had tumbled to their 7th league defeat and their 5th in a row. Things don't look any easier in our next 5 games as United travel to Coleraine next Saturday, before entertaining Linfield and Glentoran and then two away games to Lisburn Distillery and Cliftonville. Times are tough, so it's time for the 'toughs', to get going!

O'Neill 7 Aid Watson 6 MoM: O'Neill

Wray 5 Taggert 5

Stewart 6 Kelbie 6

Haveron 5 Mullan 6 referee: M.Courtenay 4

Alb Watson 6 1st Sub: Picking 5

Melaugh 5 2nd Sub: King 4

Ward 4 3rd Sub: Walsh 5

Two Halves!

It's an old cliché I know, but still relevant just the same about football being a game of two halves. Never was this better illustrated than at the Oval tonight where the Sky Blues committed suicide in the first period and then turned the game on it's head by dominating the second. Only trouble was they were four goals behind and playing against 12 men, as referee Raymond Hall was definitely only seeing one way. United had a much changed line-up, with Tommy Wray replacing Craig McClean in the back four and Aaron Stewart switching to leftback. Mark Ward got the nod on the right and Liam Mullan got a rare start on the left. This left Melaugh and Haveron in centre midfield, a case of fitting one square peg in a round hole. Gary Haveron, in my opinion can only play two positions, central defence or wide left midfield, put him anywhere else and he's like the proverbial 'fish out of water'. Gavin Melaugh's form has been atrocious lately, but he needs to play with a 'tigerish' midfielder and his partner from last season, Garth Scates, has departed to pastures new and until we find him a new 'chum' he will continue to struggle. Kelbie and Walsh continued up front, but this time Walsh led the line, with Kelbie supposedly playing off him. United managed to hold out for 15 minutes and in fact took the game to the glens early on, but finally Scullion drifted past two 'make believe' tackles before firing into the bottom corner, brushing aside defender McDonnell with consummate ease as he tried to block his final approach. Nine minutes later the lead was doubled, when a dangerous cross by Hamilton was deflected into his own net via the boot of the unlucky Tommy Wray. Two minutes later Davitt Walsh was 'cleaned' in the box, but referee Hall waved play on, no surprise there I suppose. The Glens virtually wrapped up the points in the 28th minute as the United defence stopped when a home player was blatantly off-side, but referee Hall allowed play to continue and striker Halliday ran through unchallenged and deftly chipped the advancing O'Neill. United's attempts to get back in the game were foundering on the hard tackling Glens defence, but they seemed to have 'weathered' the Glens storm and with halftime approaching were still not out of the game at 3-0 down. Two incidents in this period of play summed up the biased refereeing decisions dished out by Raymond Hall, firstly United striker Kevin Kelbie was head-butted as he cushioned a header into Mullan's path, but the referee merely stopped play so the home player could get attention (actually there was clearly nothing wrong with him he was just trying to direct attention away from his foul and he succeeded in doing this), he then instructed them to play the ball back to our keeper, when we had been in possession on the edge of their box. As if to add insult to injury the perpetrator got off without even a 'talking to' never mind the mandatory yellow card. Then in the 43rd minute disaster struck, young United keeper O'Neill 'flaffed' at a corner kick and only succeeded in giving away another one at the other side. When this cross was driven in it brushed United captain Gary Haveron on the arm, dropped at Hamilton's feet and O'Neill distinguished himself with a fine stop. However it was to no avail, as referee Hall inexplicably pointed to the penalty spot, taking the visiting team completely by surprise. Up stepped defender Nixon to give O'Neill no chance with his spot-kick and give the home team a flattering halftime lead of 4-0.

United made a substitution at the start of the second-half, with defender Gav McDonnell, making way for Aiden Watson, which meant Gary Haveron switching to partner Albert Watson in central defence. The Glens seemed to be in the mood to steamroller United aside as they laid siege to their goal in a 5 minutes spell of pressure at the start of the second period. During this spell United Captain Gary Haveron, got hurt and was replaced by leftback Liam Hogan (the home teams announcer actually called him Horan), with Aaron Stewart switching into central defence with Watson. United actually came more into the game after this and Albert Watson came within a whisker of reducing the leeway when his header from a Mullan corner, hit the post with Morris in the Glens goal beaten, but of course the ball rebounded to safety. United weren't to be denied for long though and last years top scorer Kevin Kelbie, gave them some hope when he neatly sidestepped a heavy tackle to blast the ball into the top corner of the net. Could United make a fight of this I wondered and manager Walker took the bold step of substituting Liam Mullan, with top scorer Neal Teggart taking his place. United caused the home team a few anxious moments and had yet another 'cast iron' penalty denied them when striker Teggart burst between a defender and goalkeeper Morris before being tripped by the keeper but referee Hall merely gave a goal-kick. In the end United had to settle for yet another defeat, but there were some encouraging signs, but we've still a long way to go yet and a win is vital at home to Bangor on Saturday. Just a wee word about the viewing facilities for visiting fans at this game, they are to put it mildly pretty abysmal. If we sit in the so called visitors stand, we must look through netting wire onto a pitch that is extremely poorly lit, not definitely a good advertisement for our so called new league and to add insult to injury we had to pay £10 for the privilege, no value for money here. So come on I.F.A. don't just talk about improvements, get them bloody well done!


O'Neill 6 Ward 5 MoM: Stewart

Wray 6 Walsh 6

Stewart 7 Kelbie 6

Haveron 6 Mullan 5

Alb Watson 6 1st Sub: Aid Watson 6 Referee: R. Hall 2

McDonnell 5 2nd Sub: Hogan 6

Melaugh 6 3rd Sub: Teggart 6

No Goal!

Firstly let me state that United got what their pathetic display deserved yesterday, 'sweet F.A., that said they were cruelly done by referee Stephen Weatherall and the linesman at the Shore Road end of the ground. How this linesman missed 5 Crusaders forwards a good yard offside midway though the half beggars belief and then when the resultant attack led to three successive corners he 'missed' the 'blatant' foul on United keeper Sean O'Neill, although referee Weatherall did rightly rule this goal out. But the 'meanest thing' they did was to give the home side a goal when the ball never broke the 'plane' of the goal-line. On such decisions are matches decided and this goal arrived in the 44th minute after United had hung in desperately only to be undone by two 'cheating' men in black. United manager Roy Walker, deprived of the services of winger Mark Picking through injury, chose to start with Kelbie up front and Davitt Walsh on the right wing, this was 'bread and butter' to a Crues defence led by the dominant Davey Coates, a United target during last January's transfer window. The midfield of Aiden Watson, Gavin Melaugh, Gary Haveron and the ineffective David Cushley (who appears to be only a shadow of his former self), were completely devoid of ideas and spent most of the match chasing shadows. Young Sean O'Neill kept his place in goal, while last Tuesday's back four kept their place also. Former Captain Albert Watson's frailties as a right back were cruelly exposed and he was lucky not to pick up an early caution for a 'blatant' holding offence. Both Albert and Craig McClean were targeted by the Crues midfield and were found wanting, as was young centre-back Aaron Stewart. The only bright spot in an overworked United defence was defender Gav McDonnell, who was head and shoulders above his fellow defenders and the rest of his team-mates. But one man cannot do it all and United were finally undone by a goalkeeping error from young O'Neill and an inept piece of refereeing by Stephen Weatherall and his assistant. Albert Watson, who had picked up a 'harsh' booking for an innocuous foul, not for the first time got caught out of position and when his opponent hit a tame shot goalwards young O'Neill, for reasons known only to himself, chose to try and stop it with his feet, instead of smothering the ball with his body. The ball ballooned up in the air, bounced inside the six-yard box about a foot from the goal-line and a Crues player tried to hit it but missed it completely and then United fans and players stared in disbelief as the linesman signalled the ball had crossed the goal-line. Referee Weatherall sprinted back to the centre circle, with a smug grin on his face and United were a goal behind. Probably the most galling thing of all was the 'meek' way the United team seemed to resign themselves to the fact that it was a goal instead of protesting vehemently to the officials. Where oh where has the passion gone, have they resigned themselves to their fate already, for the sake of us fans, I hope not. When the halftime whistle sounded we hoped our manager would be able to rouse our team and get them to come out fighting for the second period.

Four minutes into the second half the United defence went asleep once more and the oldest man on the pitch, Crues forward David Rainey was given all the time in the world to make the score 2-0 to the home team. Soon after the United manager rang the changes, taking off the passenger Cushley (where has your talent and enthusiasm gone David I wonder) and the unlucky Walsh, with Taggart and Ward taking their place, but it made little or no difference to United's attack. I must make a mention here for the 'umpteenth time' about United's complete lack of ideas from set-plays, either defending or attacking. In the first half young Cushley given the task of corner kick taker and who was so deadly last year, messed up continually, his first effort was a daisy cutter, which troubled no-one and his second was easily dealt with by the Crues defence, something surely has to be done about this, if I can see it, why not the United coaches I ask myself? In a last throw of the 'dice' (some chance of us gambling on anything), Aaron Stewart made way for Liam Mullen and never a more reluctant player have I ever seen, it was as if the ball was red hot, he couldn't get rid of it quick enough. He even tried to hit the houses across the road from the ground with one cross. Then we had the 'histrionics' of the Crusaders team as United tried vainly to get back into the game, firstly a player lay down in his own penalty area like he had been felled by an axe. He looked like he could barely wave a finger (although he was able to made the 'wanking sign' to United fans, strangely missed by both referee and linesman), while being able to walk unaided off the ground. Then Gary Haveron was accused, falsely, of making contact with keeper Keenan, when the keeper 'flaffed' at a cross before colliding with one of his own players. Once again this looked like a case for the stretcher, but once more it was only a 'bluff' as he wasn't injured at all. These two stoppages added at least three minutes to the time, we had six substitutions, 3 for each team, yet only 3 minutes in total were added at the end. One wonders why they bother with a 4th official, you rarely can see the board showing the subs numbers and they don't really add the real stoppage time on anyway. Having said that,if they had played all night United couldn't have scored, oh and I almost forgot, Wardy missed his customary 'sitter', blasting the ball over the bar from 3 yards out, in a 'clearance' that any defender would've been proud of, but he was trying to score, wasn't he? Hopefully they hadn't themselves backed to lose two nil, although it would in fact go a long way to accounting for this lacklustre performance. Keeper O'Neill redeemed himself, with a couple of good stops late on, one from a fiercely hit free kick which was bound for the top corner of the net, which should mean he keeps his place for the trip to the Oval next Tuesday night, for the game postponed at the start of the season. Oh and a word about Kevin Kelbie,who costs United a tidy sum each week in airfares and wages, he looks like only a shadow of himself also, summed when his marker messed up on one occasion and Crues defender Coates, 15 yards further away than Kevin, easily beat him to the ball, last season Kevin would have stuck it in the net before Coates could've moved or at least forced the keeper to make a save. United manager Roy Walker will have to think long and hard about his team selection for the Oval game as few of this team look worthy of a place on this display in my opinion!


O'Neill 6 Aid Watson 5 MoM: Gav McDonnell

Alb Watson 5 Walsh 5

McClean 5 Kelbie 5

Haveron 6 Cushley 5 Referee: S. Weatherall 1

Stewart 5 1st Sub: Taggart 5

Gav McDonnell 7 2nd Sub: Ward 5

Melaugh 4 3rd Sub: Mullan 4

Reverse Gear!

United manager Roy Walker made 3 changes to his back four today, out went regular fullbacks Wray and McClean and in came Liam Hogan at leftback with Albert Watson switching to rightback and Gary Haveron dropping back to partner Gav McDonnell at the centre of defence. The midfield was made up of, McGinley, Aiden Watson, Gavin Melaugh and Stuarty King, with Kelbie and Teggart as the strike force. United struggled to master the bumpy pitch, but that was in my opinion no excuse for both McGinley and King to never manage a cross worthy of the name in the first period. in fact it was Kevin Kelbie who showed the way with a low pass into Teggart's path, but a 'Stute defender saved the day with a timely tackle. Kelbie burst onto a through ball, only to be obstructed by a home defender, but home keeper Dougherty made a good save with his feet. The play though was called back to where the foul was committed and Gary Haveron's goalbound shot was blatantly handled by a home player. United player Stuarty King protested so vehemently that he picked up a caution, pity he didn't show as much passion in his play. Half-time was reached with the scores locked at 1-1 and the half-time chat was mainly about the inept performance of referee Crangle and United's inept players.

Eight minutes into the second half United took the lead when Kelbie fastened onto an Aiden Watson through ball, rounded the keeper and scored from an acute angle. 5 Minutes later he failed to deliver a cross from the right with Teggart waiting in vain, as Kevin blasted the ball wide. Shortly after he had been booked by referee Crangle, McGinley made way for Mark Picking and United then began to look more menacing. Still they couldn't prise open the home defence and at the other end Blaney made a good save from a point blank shot. The home team were bombarding United with long high balls and this ploy paid off after 75 minutes when, McDonnell missed a header and suddenly home player Mooney burst through, rounded Blaney and tied the scores at 1-1. Three minutes later the home team were reduced to 10 men when former United player Rory McClean reacted badly to a legitimate tackle by United's Aiden Watson and was rightly red carded. To the complete astonishment of the United players and supporters Watson was cautioned as well, becoming the 4th United player to pick up a caution on the day. United had another claim for a penalty turned down when a home defender parried a goalbound shot, but in all honesty we didn't really deserve to win. Manager Roy Walker will need all his guile if he's to mastermind a victory for United when they visit the Oval for a County Antrim Shield game on Tuesday, all I can say is, rather him than me!


Blaney 6 Melaugh 6 MoM: Aid Watson

Alb Watson 5 Teggart 5

Hogan 6 Kelbie 7

Aid Watson 7 King 4 Referee: R. Crawley 3

Gav McDonnell 6 1st Sub: M. Picking 6

Haveron 6 2nd Sub: Joe McDonnell 5

McGinley 4