Winning Tragedy!

I think it was Rudyard Kipling who in a poem wrote, 'if you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat these two villains just the same, then my son you will have become a man', well Sky Blue fans have met with disaster after disaster this season, with very little triumph and never more so than today at Bangor. We were about a minute into the three added minutes of stoppage time today, leading the home team by 3-0, when our team Captain Gary Haveron, went in to make a typical Gary Haveron tackle. The minute he went down we knew right away that he was hurt quite badly, but I don't think any of us thought in our wildest nightmare just how serious an injury it would be. It turns out that big Gary has a broken bone in his ankle and will be in plaster until February. I'm afraid I must lay the blame for Gary's injury on the shoulders of referee Mark Courtenay. How this 'gutless' man is still allowed to referee games is beyond my comprehension. This is of course the referee who, by his indecision (failing to send off Distillery keeper Philip Matthews for a professional foul), began the events that led to the 'infamous' lamb shank riot at the Showgrounds last season. With two minutes on the clock today former United player Dominic Melly 'went in over the top' on United player Kevin Kelby, a foul that should've drawn a straight red card, but the 'gutless Dungannon official merely cautioned the Bangor player and as the match progressed allowed the home team to get away with what can only be described as questionable tackles and it led to Gary's unfortunate injury which will probably mean he misses the rest of this season and we will really miss him. United manager Roy Walker made one change to his starting line-up, with Kevin Kelbie returning to his striking role, alongside Davitt Walsh, this meant no place for Tommy Wray and United went back to the flat back four of Aiden Watson, Gavin McDonnell, Archie Stewart and Lee Colligan. The midfield were Stuarty King, Gavin Melaugh, Gary Haveron and David Cushley. United it would be safe to say dominated the first period but were unable to make the vital breakthrough, while on the break they were indebted to fullbacks Aiden Watson and Lee Colligan. Time and again these two wee men came to the rescue with last ditch tackles and clearances, ably backed up by Archie Stewart and Gavin McDonnell. Stewart in fact made a last ditch block when a Bangor player looked likely to score, diverting the ball for a corner. Gavin Melaugh burst through the home defence after a Kelbie flick, but an alert linesman flagged him offside, a good decision, but unappreciated by the United fans. Close to halftime Davitt Walsh went down in a heap and came off with a suspected hamstring injury, with Mike Ward taking his place and suddenly the United attack began to look a bit more menacing. United's corners in the first half were as usual not up to the required standard, rarely getting past the first defender and when the referee blew for the end of the period we all thought we had missed the opportunity to get on the score-sheet.

Three minutes into the 2nd half and we won a corner down the right wing, up stepped the 'Cush' to deliver a perfect corner and Gavin McDonnell headed it powerfully into the net for his first goal in a United shirt. This score brought the home team to life and their tackles came in even harder but referee Courtenay was reluctant to take action. In one incident a home player went in really late and hard on Gary Haveron and by the noise of the tackle it was crunching and led to a bit of jostling amongst the players. Referee Courtenay didn't even caution the home player and in fact admonished the United Captain about his reaction. United got their 'insurance' goal after 68 minutes and it came from an unlikely source. Archie Stewart and Lee Colligan were involved and then Kelbie took over, finding the Cush with a neat pass and he threaded the ball into Wardy's path. The wee striker seemed to have missed his chance as the ball was partially cleared, but he curled his foot around the ball and found the net from a tight angle, for his first senior goal in a Sky Blue Shirt (well actually we were playing in black, but you know what I mean). Bangor then had a spell of pressure but the United defence held firm and during this period Aiden Watson and Colligan time after time rescued the situation when the home team threatened. United keeper Neal Blaney also distinguished himself with a good stop from a pile driver as the home team tried to salvage something from the game. Stuarty King relieved the pressure for United with a great run from his own penalty box to the opposite penalty box, before winning a free kick. United almost scored from the resultant free but the home goal somehow survived. United weren't to be denied for long though and after another great pass from the 'Cush' Kelbie sprinted down the left wing before finding Wardy who hammered the ball into the net for his second and United's third goal in the 85th minute.Stuarty King was suffering from a shoulder injury and he typically tried to carry on but was replaced after 87 minutes by Paul McNeil. Young McNeil missed a glorious chance to make it four when he just failed to score from a Kelbie pass. United were rampant at this stage and looked certain to add to their tally, when tragedy struck and the rest, as they say, is history!


Blaney 8 Melaugh 7 MoM: Aid Watson

Aid Watson 8 Walsh 7

Colligan 8 Kelbie 7

Haveron 8 Cushley 8 Referee: M. Courtenay 2

Gav McDonnell 8 1st Sub: Wardy 8

Stewart 8 2nd Sub: McNeill 7

King 7 3rd Sub: Deans 7