Jury's Out!

United had their Premier league credentials examined tonight by a 12 man jury, eleven Glentoran players and a totally biased display by referee McFadden. United could do nothing right in his eyes and some of his decisions had to be seen to be believed. Fouls against the home team went unchecked for the most part and to make matters worse McFadden and the linesman at the Fisherwick end of the ground both missed one of the most shocking fouls witnessed at the Showgrounds for many years. United got off to the worst possible start, when Joe McDonnell was adjudged to have fouled Glens forward Darren Boyce, who went down 'like a ton of bricks' to a 'powder puff' tackle. Number 22, Glenn Gardner, drilled a free kick from the edge of the box past Neal Blaney to give the visitors the lead. This was just the start of Gardiner's effect on the Sky Blues, but the worst was yet to come. That goal came after 11 minutes and two minutes later Albert Watson's intended headed back pass fell woefully short and striker Boyce beat Blaney to the ball before steering it into the net, to leave the visitors 2 nil ahead. United spurned a great chance to get a goal back when Elliott Morris's mistimed clearance fell to Mike Ward who laid it into Kelbie's path, but the United striker flashed his shot wide of the vacant goal, a desperate miss. United managed to hold out against the slick moving Glens until almost on the stroke of halftime, when central defender Albert Watson went into a tackle just outside his own penalty area and Glens player Gardiner 'went in over the top' catching Albert on the leg. This happened right under under the linesman's nose but he saw nothing wrong in the tackle and in fact signalled for a throw in to the visitors. It was obvious that Albert was in a 'bad way' and in fact had to be stretchered off with young Paul Getty taking his place. The Glens added insult to injury by playing on as if nothing had happened, even throwing the ball for a goalkick would have been the 'sporting' action. A minute later the halftime whistle went and the Glentoran players and the match officials drew a chorus of boos from the home team as they trooped off.

Three minutes into the second half the game was over as a contest, when the United defence got caught with a through ball and Boyce notched his second on the night and justified manager McDonald's ploy of only playing with only six first team regulars. United were devoid of ideas of how to change proceedings and Gavin Melaugh, captain in the absence of the suspended Gary Haveron, was having a horror night against his former club. Kevin Kelbie, who scored the United equaliser when the team's last met, was also out of sorts and when he looked to have slipped the Glen's defence on one occasion, he left the ball behind him, just a night to forget for the Scotsman. With 15 minutes remaining, manager Walker took off the hard running but ineffective Ward, giving young striker Paul McNeill his first outing of the season. Two minutes later, Gardiner repeated 'his tackle' on United winger Mark Picking, again no action was taken by the referee and linesman, nothing new there. In a last throw of the dice United manager Walker took off Gavin Melaugh, with Liam Mullan taking his place. Mullan, who had been so disappointing on Saturday appeared to rouse his team-mates and he was instrumental in them getting a lifeline late in the game. A United through ball from the home teams best player Lee Colligan was blatantly handled but ignored by referee McFadden (no surprise there) and Mullan fired the loose ball onto the post but McNeill was on hand to force the ball over the line. With the match into the 2 minutes of added time United almost narrowed the gap even further, when a Kelbie cross was headed rather tamely into Morris's arms by the unmarked Stuarty King, possibly a costly miss. This was United's last chance and they go to the Oval next Tuesday trailing by three goals to one. It will take a 'Herculean effort' if United are to pull back this two goal deficit, but it can be done, sure only last season we went there and won 4-2, as the old saying goes, 'when the going gets tough, the tough get going', but it's going to be very tough, very tough indeed!


Blaney 7 Melaugh 5 MoM: L. Colligan

Aid Watson 7 Ward 6

Colligan 8 Kelbie 5

McDonnell 6 King 6 Referee: J. McFadden 1

Alb. Watson 6 1st Sub; Getty 6

Stewart 7 2nd Sub: McNeil 7

Picking 5 3rd Sub: Mullen 7