Fat-arsed Fans!

For the first leg of the C.I.S. cup the board of Ballymena thought they would reward their 'long suffering' fans by allowing season ticket holders in free. Tonight at the Oval those same fans threw that generosity back in their face by sitting on their collective 'fat arses' while their team tried valiantly to overcome a 3-1 deficit. I didn't physically count the exact number of United fans at the Oval tonight, but I'd be surprised it it was more than 25. These fans are the 'true' United supporters, everybody else is only a 'hanger on'. We have three supporters clubs in the town and they couldn't even get together to organise transport to the match, a sad reflection on themselves I think. Now to the match, United were forced to make one change to their starting line-up from last Saturday, with Tommy Burke coming in for the injured Aiden Watson. United had the better of the opening exchanges, but once the home team broke I was worried as the linesman at that end of the ground was never up with play and missed two blatant offsides in the first 20 minutes. Finally the home team capitalised on this benevolence, when Waterworth two yards behind the United line was allowed to run through and score with the linesman only getting level with him after the event. How the home team didn't add to their tally is beyond me as this official missed three more clear offsides, two of which happened in the same move. The United defence, ably marshalled by 'tower of strength' Gary Haveron (voted player of the month for October by the Seven Towers Supporters club, where were they tonight I wonder?), dealt fairly well with the Glens attacks and supported their forwards when the occasions came along. Stuarty King, who seems to have got a new lease of life lately, was tearing up the right wing and causing the 'creaky' home defence some problems. Despite winning several corners United couldn't manage to open the home defence sufficiently in order to score. Halftime was reached with United trailing by a goal to nil and 4-1 on aggregate.

The second-half kicked off at 20-49 and what an exhilarating 43 minutes it turned out to be. I say 43 minutes as referee Keith Halliday supposedly played 3 minutes of stoppage time, after the game was held up for approximately 2 minutes and 17 seconds, when a home player was supposedly injured, plus we had 5 substitutions during this period which should have meant a minimum of 5 minutes of stoppage time. The game was over at 21-35 and even my mathematics make that only 46 minutes in total at least 4 minutes too little. But I digress, 8 minutes into the 2nd half United got a lifeline when after good play, Mullan found Teggart with a good pass and the big forward wriggled past Glens defender Leeman before smacking it past Elliot Morris. This was the lift United needed and they came forward with renewed confidence and Stuarty King swept past the sluggish home defenders, but was unable to find a United player with his cross. The Glens stepped up the pressure forcing a couple of corners and from one of these United keeper Neal Blaney launched a long clearance towards Stuarty King. It looked like Glens ball but as Stuarty hassled a Glens player he clearly handled the ball but the linesman said it was accidental. Midway through the half United made a substitution, with Gavin McDonnell making way for Tommy Wray, according to reports McDonnell was 'tired'. United didn't allow this change of personnel to affect their rhythm and they soon forced a corner down their left flank. Stuarty swung over a perfect inswinger and Elliot morris clattered into one of his own players and Gary Haveron prodded the ball into the net. Alas our celebrations were short-lived as the referee ruled the goal out supposedly for a foul on the keeper, yet another miscarriage of justice. Then we had a ludicrous decision by the linesman, flagging either Kelbie or Teggart offside, when they were clearly in their own half when the ball was played. Manager Walker took off Joe McDonnell with Walsh coming on and shortly afterwards Morris bundled him over in the box, as clear-cut a penalty as I ever seen, but ignored by referee Halliday. Walsh was unlucky shortly afterwards when in attempting to get to a through pass, he inadvertently trod on the ball, what a goal that would've been. Then we had the incident where a home player went down injured in his own penalty box, while his own team-mates played on. When the ball eventually went dead the referee held up play while he ran from one end of the field to another, checked on the player, summoned the physio and after the physio had examined him he then gave the home team about 30 seconds to try and get their sub on, before waving play on, a total of almost two and a half minutes. With one minute of normal time remaining United did get the winning goal, when Stuarty King, cut along the by-line before beating Morris with a daisy cutter. Roy Walker wasted some of the precious stoppage time by taking Mullen off and bringing on McNeil, but United were unable to find the goal that would have taken the game to extra-time. Now maybe if the referee had played the proper 45 minutes plus stoppage time, we never know what might have happened. United were applauded by their paltry band of supporters, their efforts deserved a bigger audience. Now when this game is talked about as it will by those who were there, it'll be with a damming condemnation of those who weren't!


Blaney 8 Joe McDonnell 7 MoM: Haveron

Burke 7 Teggart 8

Colligan 8 Kelbie 8

Haveron 9 Mullen 7 Referee: K. Halliday 3

Gav McDonnell 7 1st Sub: Wray 7

Melaugh 7 2nd Sub: Walsh 7

King 8 3rd Sub: McNeill 7