Ram Raided!

The ironic thing about last night's game is that the main talking point was not about a good game, but about the abject performance of Antrim referee Alan Black. Not only did he send United's Chris Ramsay off for a foul that merited merely a booking, he then sent a second United player off for allegedly taking a dive. United had clawed themselves back into the match at this stage and were looking the more likely winners, when referee Black pulled his 'dirty trick'. What we have done to this man whose father is a Ballymena native I don't know, but he seems determined to make us pay a very heavy price. United manager Roy Walker had rung the changes after Saturday's defeat, with a back four of Ramsay, Albert, Archie and Colligan. A midfield four of Mike Smith, Carson, Anderson and Captain Gary Haveron, with Surgenor in an unfamiliar striking role alongside Kevin Kelbie.

Disaster struck for United almost immediately when Coleraine striker Patterson at least 2 yards offside broke down the right. He squared the ball into the middle and Sean O'Neill had a chance to retrieve the situation, but instead of diving on the ball he tried to catch it but it slipped from his grasp and Boyce had the easy task of finding the net. Put that one down to Linesman and goalkeeper error. United didn't allow this setback to get them down and drove at the Scum, but their finishing let them down on two occasions, Surgenor blasting wide when well placed after a Colligan run and then Carson drove well wide from in front of goals. with 20 minutes on the clock Anderson forced Fat Davey O'Hare into a fingertip save.

With 22 minutes on the clock United suffered a 2nd disaster, when Lee Colligan hit the ball too far in front of himself and in his attempt to retrieve the situation caught a Coleraine defender and had to be carried off. This meant David Cushley coming on and United having to shuffle the whole team, with Ramsay moving inside to release Archie to left back and Smith coming back to right back. United continued to press forward looking for an equaliser with the home team relying on the occasional break. With 31 minutes on the clock Ramsay was left one-on one with Patterson and instead of taking the easy option and finding touch he tried to beat him lost possession and then 'chopped' his legs from him. Yes it was a bad foul, but no-one could believe it when Black flourished the red card.

Still United wouldn't lie down and they continued to take the game to the home team and then referee Black showed his biased nature. Kevin Kelbie eluded his marker on the wing and then when he ran towards the penalty area he was 'chopped' down, despite giving the free Black flourished no red card for this cynical tackle. Gary Haveron, Carson, Cushley and Anderson were the driving force behind Kelby as Surgenor had gone back to help out in defence and these four guys all played their socks off and were a credit to themselves and the team. Halftime was reached with no further scoring but two more United men, Albert and Surgenor, were booked for innocuous tackles. Referee Black's inept performance was summed up just before the whistle when after the 'fat O'Hare' clearly punched the ball for a corner, he ignored it and gave a goalkick.

United continued where they left off in the first period but despite forcing a couple of corners couldn't get the vital breakthrough, with big Gary heading one wide. Referee Black ignored a 'blatant' elbow on United's Phillip Carson and when Anderson pointed this out to him he flourished another yellow card seemingly for dissent. Two minutes later he ignored a 'dive' by Coleraine's Carson in the United penalty box. Fifteen minutes into the half and United got their just rewards, when an Anderson through ball was back-heeled by Kelbie into Cushley's path, the young Shankill Road lad blasted it past the 'fat O'Hare' and into the net to level the scores.

United continued to take the game to the scum but it was hard to see where they were going to get a winner from. It was obvious somebody was going to have to do something special and Noel Anderson it was who assumed this mantle. Driving through the centre of the park he skipped past three tackles before being tripped up by a boot in his thigh. Referee Black who was close by decided otherwise, cautioned Anderson for diving, which was a 2nd yellow and sent him off. We were dumbfounded and Anderson kept protesting his innocence but Black just ignored him. The whole team's heads dropped then and the scum got a couple of cheap goals to tie up the points.

Fat O'Hare goaded the United fans behind his goal who responded by throwing a couple of plastic bottles, but they were nowhere near him and he continued with his goading nonetheless. Carson and Kelbie were replaced by first McNeil and then youngster Lee Cattersley. In the 3 minutes of added time United could and should've got a consolation goal when the 'Cush' found himself unmarked and 'fat O'Hare' stranded but he headed meekly over the bar. The United heroes were richly applauded off the pitch, while referee Black was booed and definitely will not be on any popularity polls in Ballymena.

O'Neill (6), Ramsay (5), Alb Watson (8), Archie (8), Colligan (6)(Sub: Cushley 8), M.Smith (8), Carson (8)(Sub: McNeill 7), Haveron (8), Anderson (9), Surgenor (7), Kelbie (8)(Sub: Cattersley 7)

Man of the match: Noel Anderson