Messiah Walker!

United manager Roy Walker has set himself a high standard with two wins and a draw over the team 'we love to hate', the Coleraine scum. Not only two wins but two emphatic wins and we allowed them to snatch a draw, which they didn't deserve in the first game back in September 27, when we had only taken 2 points from 9 games and our confidence was at rock bottom. Since then we have made a remarkable recovery and on our showing yesterday should complete the process over the next couple of games. United surprisingly included Neal Teggart from the start, but he looked badly off the pace and fluffed a great chance to give United the lead midway through the first half. United began the game with a flat back four of, Smith, McConnell, Muir and Colligan and a midfield four of Aid Watson, Wray, Melaugh and Cushley, with Teggart and Kelbie up font. Cushley, continues to frustrate as he created and missed United's best chances when with the wind at their backs they exposed the home teams frailties on a number of occasions. First Cushley failed to find the target, from inside the box, blasting a right-foot shot high wide and handsome with the 'not so fat' Davey O'Hare rooted to the spot. Then he flashed another shot wide after cutting inside, before delivering a corner over the bar, what a waste. After a good build up Teggart bore down on the home goal but his lack of fitness told as he allowed a scum defender to get back and tackle him and his shot flew into the grateful arms of the slimmer (I did say slimmer, not 'slim'), Davey O'Hare. O'Hare was blatantly wasting time from the start of the game and referee Alan Black was reluctant to produce the ultimate deterrent, a yellow card. On the rare occasions when the home team managed to mount an attack they found the United defence in a no nonsense mood, typified by the ferocious display of midfielder Aiden Watson. Despite looking like losing out on many occasions Watson battled on dominating the Coleraine midfield, ably backed up to a lesser extent by Tommy Wray. Coleraine's Tommy McCallion was allowed to get away with three bad tackles before referee Black finally produced a deserved yellow card. United missed two glorious chances when free kicks from Smith just needed a touch, but no-one was able to get the decisive deflection and the chances were lost. United keeper Alan Blayney dropped the ball when under pressure, but Aiden Watson was on hand to save the day. The referee added on 3 minutes at the end of the first period to counteract the time-wasting of the home keeper, but as I said earlier a caution would've been the better option. So halftime was reached with the scoresheet still blank, but we hoped for better fare in the second half.

United almost took the lead one minute into the half when after a 'rare' kick-off procedure (usually it's just a big punt into touch), they actually kept the ball and Teggart just failed to get a shot on target after a Kelbie pass. United despite playing against the breeze continued to take the game to Coleraine, but the home team did have a ten minute spell where United were unable to clear their lines, but the defence held firm, led by the magnificent Gavin McDonnell. The big Dubliner time and again came to United's rescue with resolute tackles and they survived the home team's onslaught. When United did finally break the home team's hold, McCallion deliberately handled the ball, but the 'gutless' referee Black failed to administer the normal yellow card. Gavin Melaugh spurned a great chance when finding himself in possession on the edge of the box, he elected to pass rather than go for goal himself. Lee Colligan's long throws were a constant threat to the home defence and from one of these level with the six-yard box, Muir nodded the ball on to Kelbie's head and O'Hare just managed to finger-tip the ball over for a corner. From the resultant corner United did manage to get the ball in the net when the keeper appeared to punch it in himself but the referee disallowed it for an unseen infringement. United manager Roy Walker made two decisive changes midway through the half, with Teggart and Cushley being replaced by Picking and McConnell. This gave the visitors more of an impetus and they put the scum under even more pressure, as Smith, Wray and Picking stretched their left flank to breaking point. United's pressure won them a corner on the right and Picking appeared reluctant to take it, but luckily he relented in the end. Never has the former Coleraine/Linfield winger struck a better dead ball as this one landed fairly and squarely on Paul Muir's nut and he left O'Hare grasping at thin air with a bullet header into the net. United fans were on their feet saluting the 'returning hero' who since signing during the transfer window has notched 3 goals for his home-town club. Coleraine's response was to take off Gibson and bring on Jody Tolan, who tried to upset McDonnell but United's strongman just brushed him aside and kept his cool. In a last throw of the dice the home team introduced the cumbersome Davy Patton and Roy Walker brought on Albert Watson in place of the tiring Melaugh. McCallion escaped yet another booking after a brutal tackle on Tommy Wray, but we expected nothing else from referee Black. Try as they might the home team could not get back in the game, even with the referee giving them dubious free kicks and United held out for yet another victory, which if not a classic, was still sweet to all United fans. United got a wee bonus with the news that Dungannon had lost, giving them a ten point cushion over the bottom club, but most importantly 'bragging rights' over the Coleraine scum!


Blayney 8 Aid Watson 8 MoM: Aid Watson

Smith 8 Teggart 6

Colligan 7 Kelbie 7

Wray 7 Cushley 6 Referee: A. Black 4

McDonnell 8 1st Sub: Picking 7

Muir 8 2nd Sub: McConnell 7

Melaugh 7 3rd Sub: Alb Watson 7