Wake-up Call!

After their merited if somewhat lucky victory at Newry on Saturday, Roy Walkers team got a harsh wake-up call in tonight's home game with Dungannon Swifts, who triumphed by 2-1, their third victory over the Sky Blues this season. The United manager made two changes to his starting line-up from last Saturday, with Paul Muir making his first starting appearance and new boy Michael Smith taking over the wing-back berth in place of the suspended Aiden Watson. Little was seen of United early on as the visitors dictated the pace, their slick passing belying their bottom rung of the league, as they took the game to United. United's cause wasn't helped when Mike Ward limped off after 10 minutes with Walsh taking his place. The home team managed to survive the early pressure from the visitors, but as usual they were undone by their failure to stop teams crossing the ball. The culprit on this occasion was new signing Smith, as he allowed his man to get a cross in and after an initial shot had rebounded from a United defender, the ball was hammered into the net. This goal came in the 28th minute and I could see the home team's heads drop immediately. It was obvious it was going to take a bit of magic to get United back in the game. This bit of magic arrived in the 38th minute, when Paul Muir thundered in a free kick from thirty yards that left the Dungannon keeper flat-footed. United came more into the game in the last 7 minutes plus the 2 minutes of stoppage time. We witnessed a real gaffe from referee McFadden during stoppage time, when he stopped play to give a foul on United striker Kevin Kelbie, instead of applying the advantage rule as Kelbie was in the clear. That was a s good as it got for the home team as the halftime whistle sounded soon after.

United, despite being under the cosh at the start of the half, spurned a great chance to take the lead 9 minutes in, when McDonnell somehow headed against the post with the goal gaping from a Kelbie free kick. This miss was all the more galling as Tommy Wray was unmarked behind Gavin, but Gavin took the effort himself and missed. Ten minutes later the United defence (not for the first time this season), went asleep at a corner kick and visiting striker Timmy Adamson sent a powerful header into the United net to put the visitors 2-1 ahead. United to their credit did push for the equaliser, but they had nobody with that bit of flair who could open the visitors defence, although George Young made the visiting keeper make a good save wit a crisp shot from the edge of the box. United continued to push forward and had a couple of lucky escapes when the visitors caught them with breakaway attacks. Gavin McDonnell got a yellow card for an alleged professional foul, but it was more of a clumsy challenge than a deliberate one. After 80 minutes manager Walker finally made a change with Cushley replacing Craig McClean, but he had little or no impact and with 5 minutes remaining Paul Muir made way for Albert Watson. Albert picked up a booking after only 3 minutes for a heavy challenge, while Dungannon players were allowed to get away with similar challenges all night, but then what else is new. Thankfully United only lost by two goals to one, but it's obvious that players like Gary Haveron and Stuarty King, with their 'never say die' attitude are sorely missed in the United team and something's got to be done.


Blaney 7 Melaugh 6 MoM: Muir

Wray 6 Ward 6

Muir 7 Kelbie 6

McDonnell 6 Colligan 6 Referee: J. McFadden 4

Smith 6 1st Sub: Walsh 5

McClean 5 2nd Sub: Cushley 5

Smith 6 3rd Sub: Watson 6