Wallkers Waltz!

After this dismal showing against Institute yesterday, it's hard to see how United manager Roy Walker can hold his job. In fact yesterday could have been his last waltz, in a game where United failed to get even one shot on target, unless you count an early Kevin Kelbie effort which was blocked by a 'Stute defender. United, without top scorer Neal Teggart, chose to go with a lone striker and a 5 man midfield, but even with their numerical advantage their midfield were outplayed by their Londonderry opponents and their defence were under constant pressure. In fact United were indebted to keeper Neal Blaney for three good saves which kept the scores level at the interval, but even he could do nothing with a misdirected back header from Archie Stewart which luckily missed the goal with Blaney standing alongside the young defender. The closest United came to scoring was when a defender's supposed back-header eluded his keeper, hit the post and Mike Ward was unable to score from the rebound, the ball being scrambled for a corner. United experimented with Gavin Melaugh taking their corners, but still got no joy against a well organised 'Stute defence. United came with a flourish on the stroke of halftime, but it was too little too late and referee Ken Ginnet blew his whistle with the game scoreless.

Despite Davitt Walsh, stripping off and looking likely to come on as a sub, United began the half with the same 11 players. The visitors stepped up the pace in the 2nd half and I knew it was only a matter of time before they got the breakthrough. Anyone who reads my column regularly will know that I've been lamenting all season about United's inability to defend set-pieces, or indeed to take advantage of them. So it came as no surprise to me that they were undone at yet another set-piece, when winger Ryan Semple found the head of the unmarked Ogilby and he glanced a header into the net past the flat-footed Blaney. The ball was right in the corner and I marvel at the fact that, we, with the leakiest defence in the league don't put a defender on the post to try and safeguard for such an eventuality. Manger Walker rang the changes after this, but his substitutions seemed strange to put it mildly. First he took off Mike Ward, not the worst player by any means and brought on Walsh, striker for striker. Two minutes later he took off Stuart King, but brought on Mark Picking, a winger for a winger, I thought it would have been better to go with two wingers for a time, but the manager thought different, this of course made no difference whatsoever. In his final throw of the dice, Joe McDonnell came on for young Ryan Deans. Walsh did have a half chance but what looked like a foul by a visiting defender was waved away by referee Ginnet. United picked up three booking in the 2nd half, mostly for dissent, first Kevin Kelbie was cautioned for kicking the ball away after being penalised for an innocuous foul, then Mark Picking picked up a caution for protesting that an Institute defender took a dive, as if they would. The third booking was though by far the most galling. The linesman at the Fisherwick end had been on his toes in the first period, flagging United's forwards when they even looked anywhere near offside, while in the 2nd half he missed four blatant offences. The worst of these occurred in the 84th minute, when a 'Stute player was five yards offside, the linesman ran behind him like a covering defender, as he cut into the box, United captain Gary Haveron, made a great tackle, but looked on in bewilderment when the referee and linesman both signalled for a penalty. Gary picked up a caution as a result of his protestations but some justice was done when Ogilby's spot kick hit the bar and went for a goalkick. Even this couldn't lift the lifeless Sky Blues and they went down without a fight to yet another dismal defeat. The fans frustration was neatly summed up when in the last minute, winger Picking burst down the right and with 3 men in the centre, shot wildly over the bar, what a waste. The two questions on most fans lips as they left the ground was, how long Roy Walker could last in the job and what way do you go to get to Dergview?


Blaney 7 Melaugh 5 MoM: Blaney

Wray 5 Deans 5

Colligan 6 Kelbie 6

Haveron 6 King 6 Referee: K. Ginnett 3

Gav McDonnell 5 1st Sub: Walsh 5

Stewart 6 2nd Sub: Picking 5

Ward 6 3rd Sub: Joe McDonnell 5



Blaney