Gavin Away!

The Sky Blues playing in their all Black strip, got a precious away point at Drumaho yesterday, but they won't need me to remind them they could and should've, taken all three. Two sitters were missed in a first half during which they had at least 70% domination and a couple of other half chances went begging also. The first culprit was Gavin McDonnell, who when the ball fell to him inside the 6 yard box, somehow scooped it over the bar and then his namesake, 'Gavin' Melaugh ballooned a similar chance into the crowd from a Kelbie pass. Kelbie himself should've done better, when he hammered the ball across the face of the goal, instead of either picking his spot or passing to his fellow striker Paul McNeill. United took the field with two changes to their starting line-up from the team that lost to Dungannon Swifts for the third time this season on Tuesday past. Albert Watson, back to full fitness, played on the right side of the 3 man defence, which appears to be in vogue at the Showgrounds at the moment. While Tommy Wray slotted into an unfamiliar central midfield role, in which it must be said he performed admirably. Former United striker Paul Brown, came in for some 'stick' from United fans and he should surely have been cautioned for his obscene gesture towards them, which had to have been seen by both linesman and 4th official. Referee Colin Burns, who somehow adjudged that United striker McNeill had fouled the 'Stute keeper with barely a minute on the clock, when in fact what happened was the keeper had collided with young Paul and dropped the ball, which was scrambled to safety. Midway through the half he then waved away legitimate penalty claims, when McNeil was bowled over in the box as he attempted to get on the end of a Kelbie pass. From a corner by Michael Smith, no United player could get a touch to a ball that was begging to be put away. As so often happens in these cases the home team almost snatched an undeserved lead at the end of the half but keeper Alan Blaney managed to block a shot from another former United striker, Kevin Ramsay.

The 2nd half was almost a carbon copy of the first, but it was the home team who dominated this time and United seemed content to try and catch them on the break. This should've paid dividends midway through the half when Craig McClean fed the ball through to young McNeill and with the offside Kelbie playing no part, the young striker took the ball round the home keeper and then seemed to panic and hoofed the ball wide with the goal at his mercy. United had a let-off at the other end when Lowry surged past the sluggish Paul Muir, but luckily for United he pulled his shot wide of the posts. Young Lee Colligan, with great tenacity, made a wonderful tackle in midfield, shrugged off another attempt to hinder him and somehow after doing the 'hard work' messed it up with an overhit pass. In another United break Kelbie just failed to get his foot to another through ball. When United won a free kick about 30 yards from goal on the right side, it looked tailor made for a Muir thunderbolt, but for some reason Kelbie took it and the chance was lost. Brown tried to 'con' the referee after a tussle with McDonnell, but he rightly waved play on. With 15 minutes remaining Cushley came on for Melaugh and then Walsh for McNeill, but still United couldn't manage to get the vital breakthrough and had to settle for a share of the spoils.


Blaney 7 Melaugh 6 MoM: Alb Watson

Alb. Watson 8 McNeil 6

Gav McDonnell 7 Kelbie 7

Muir 6 McClean 6 Referee: C. Burns 5

Smith 6 1st Sub: Cushley 6

Wray 7 2nd Sub: Walsh 6

Cooligan 7