Hatchet's Blunted!

The Hatchet-men came to the Showgrounds today with a swagger, not only had they beaten us last Tuesday in the Shield semi-final, they were also the league leaders. After today's game they're still the league leaders, but their swagger has gone as United swept them aside with a deserved 2-0 victory. United manager Roy Walker didn't 'tinker' too much with his starting line-out, taking out Gavin Taggart and bringing in Mark Surgenor, changing his formation to a 3,5,2 from his normal,4,4,2. Obviously the wily Walker had spotted something last Tuesday and saw this as his best way to counteract it. Despite electing to face the wind in the first half (and a strong wind it was), United held the leaders at bay, although they were under the 'cosh' for long periods. Dwayne Nelson in goals was almost caught out by a 50 yard lob, but was happy to see it clear the bar and then made sure that a 30 yard pile-driver was drifting wide. United looked good on the break, with both wing-backs, Lee Colligan and Mike Smith giving the forwards great support. The ever blossoming partnership between Andy smith and Nathan McConnell was also in evidence early on and they almost made the breakthrough after good work from Cushley but Nathan failed to find Andy with his final pass. The referee, K. Morgan from Wales, was in a fairly lenient mood and twice 'talked' to Crues players, where a 'booking' was more apt. United, as I said earlier, were under severe pressure as the visitors had the near gale-force wind at their backs, but they held out valiantly even though Nelson's goal-kicks were not top drawer.
United finally managed to break out of defence and in a flowing move Cushley found himself one-on-one with ex-United player Jamie Marks. The Shankill Road man calmly clipped the ball over Mark's head burst to the byline and drove over the kinda cross defenders hate, 'hard and low'. The Crues defence failed to deal with it and Mike Smith popped up to side-foot it into the net, scoring his first senior goal in the process. United almost doubled their lead a minute later, but McConnell just failed once more to get a pass to Andy Smith. Cushley and Mike Smith endeavoured to conjure up another goal from a free kick, but Cushley's final shot although on target didn't trouble Keenan in the visitor's goal. Referee Morgan somehow found 2 minutes of stoppage time and during this period United spurned a great chance to increase their lead. Andy Smith, such a revelation since taking over the Captain's armband, drew three Crues defenders to him near the halfway line, before laying a perfect pass into strike partner McConnell's path. Big Nathan is not the fastest thing ever seen but he trundled goalwards, took it round Keenan, but somehow missed the target when it seemed easier to score. The goal would've been a bonus but as the referee blew the halftime whistle United were applauded off the field by their faithful fans.

United were slow to start in the second period and seemed ill at ease with the Crues bringing on two subs, former United player Dominic Melly and Jordan Owens, while switching to a 3,4,3 formation, which the home team found hard to deal with. In a flowing move 5 minutes after the restart the visitors spurned a chance to level the scores when sub Owens missed a sitter from 6 yards out. This seemed to wake United from their slumbers and with Mike Smith, linking up with his namesake Andy, the Sky Blues began to get their game together. Cushley almost increased United's lead but his free kick from the left was tipped over the bar by Keenan. But fourteen minutes into the half they did put another nail in the visitor's coffin. Mike Smith released Andy down the right flank and he crossed for the alert Cushley to fire a right-footed shot past the helpless Keenan, to make it 2-0, and make himself United's joint leading scorer with 5 goals, in the process. United were in control from there on although the Crues did try to put them under pressure, but their young defence held firm.
Andy Smith came within a whisker of getting on the scoresheet, when after a partially cleared corner, he took a pass from his namesake and his vicious left-foot shot cannoned off the crossbar with Keenan transfixed to the spot. He later turned provider when after yet another link-up with Mike, he took the ball past Keenan but as the angle was too tight, he tried to find his strike partner McConnell but unfortunately the ball was behind him and the chance was lost. A word here has to be said about United's corners today, all taken by Mike Smith and all delivered to the right spot, what a change that makes. Darren Lockhart was 'harshly' booked by the referee when he jumped into a Crues player, his first foul of the game. Visiting manager Stephen Baxter made his final play taking off the ineffective Donnelly and bringing on Eamon Doherty. Late in the game sub Doherty committed a vicious foul on Cushley as the United winger sped goalwards and even though he was yellow carded it seemed somewhat inadequate as the Cush was unable to continue. Gavin Taggart came on in Cushley's place and United continued to out play the league leaders. United keeper Nelson whose goal kicks and drop kicks were so poor in the first half, hit most of them too long in the 2nd and we gained little from the use of the wind as a result. Late in the game Nelson denied Owens when he dived to his right making a good stop. Referee Morgan found 4 minutes of stoppage time from somewhere much to the surprise of our manager, who just for good measure took off McConnell and brought on McNeill to eat up some of it. The referee finally blew his whistle and United had won a memorable victory, kept a clean sheet and moved up into the top half of the league table!

Nelson (7), M. Smith (8), Colligan (8), Surgenor (8), Ramsay (8), Archie (8), Anderson (7), Lockhart (7), Cushley (8)(Sub: Taggart 7), A. Smith (8), McConnell (7) (Sub: McNeill 7).

Man of the match: Mike Smith