Zero Hero!

United goalkeeper Sean O'Neill was my man of the match against Ards on Saturday and even though he had another superb game last night, it was a United veteran who took the plaudits in a narrow one nil victory. Albert Watson has been at the Showgrounds all his playing days and last night was his best game and when Captain Gary Haveron was substituted he rightly passed the armband to big Albert. Albert made many crucial tackles and clearances and also gave probing passes to his forwards, an all round polished performance. United manager Roy Walker surprised us all with his team selection out went Surgenor, replaced by Ramsay who slotted in to central defence alongside Albert, with Archie switching to left back. , Cushley was replaced by Colligan who moved up to left-midfield, with Carson slotting in to centre-midfield alongside Haveron and Aiden Watson coming on in right-midfield. Locky was then pushed upfront alongside Kelby at the expense of McConnell, a strange formation indeed.

The first half was mainly one of Gary Haveron 'misses' as the United Captain dominated the set-pieces, without ever finding the target. Five minutes into the game and Carson delivered a superb free kick and big Gary rose majestically, headed the ball downwards (as all the experts say you should), but unfortunately for Gary and United, it bounced up and over the crossbar. Ards threatened a couple of times and United defended desperately failing to clear their lines adequately, bringing ever more pressure on themselves. The swirling wind was playing havoc at times especially with crossfield balls and this didn't help the games flow. Also, as on Saturday, the visitors tackling wasn't the prettiest and United won a few free kicks, but despite a couple of good deliveries from Carson big Gazza missed the target twice with his head and then when Carson was taken down near the edge of the box, his free kick cannoned off the defensive wall for a corner.

Lee Colligan was getting some rough treatment from the visitors also and referee Courtney finally lost patience and booked an Ards player. Archie played a good pass to Kelbie who released Locky through the middle but unfortunately the ball just got away from the stand-in striker. At the other end Albert made a timely interception as the visitors attempted to unlock the home defence. Mike Smith and Aiden Watson linked well down the right but couldn't manage to get a telling cross in and a Carson shot failed to trouble the keeper. Just before halftime United missed a glorious opening when after an Ards corner had been cleared, Kelbie failed to see the unmarked Colligan and the chance was lost.

United really stepped up the pressure in the second period but couldn't find that vital pass to unlock the resolute Ards defence. Fifteen minutes into the half manager Walker acted, taking off his central-midfield pairing, Carson and Haveron and bringing on McConnell and Anderson. Anderson paired up in central-midfield with Locky and big Nathan went up front with Kelbie. It seemed a strange move to me taking off Carson and Haveron, who were both playing well, but then again, 'what the hell do I know' about football management. Big Nathan had an early chance to make an impact but the ball seemed to get stuck beneath his feet. This didn't deter the big man and he later sped down the wing but his cross eluded everybody, it was just too good.

Locky then threatened to put the issue beyond doubt with a great run through the middle, but instead of shooting he passed to Kelbie, who was the most surprised man in the ground and the chance went abegging. Finally 'Rip Van' Roy awoke from his slumbers and brought on 'the Cush', taking Aiden Watson off and then we begun to look dangerous. The Cush was involved in almost everything from then on as he sought to show his manager why he should've been on from the start. In the last ten minutes of normal time United went looking for a goal and Chris Ramsay was denied by the woodwork when he got his head to a Cushley corner. Ards had a couple of threatening runs, but the United defence led by 'Prince Albert' held firm. Right at the end of ninety minutes Albert in fact almost snatched it when his shot at a corner just skimmed the post.

Suddenly we were into extra time or were we, we wondered as the teams left the pitch, but it must have been just for 'comfort breaks' as they were soon back out. Would our superior fitness (three nights training pay-off I wondered) and just where could we get a goal from. Kevin Kelbie was not having the best of games, but as they say, 'form is temporary, but class is permanent' and so it proved. Chris Ramsay carried the ball out of defence finding Kelbie on the halfway line and the 'flying Scotsman' took off on a diagonal run, laid the ball off to his strike partner big Nathan, took a return pass and rifled the ball into the net. It wasn't the 'best' goal he's ever scored but it was pretty special. This was Kevin's 8th goal of the season and keeps his remarkable career scoring ratio of a goal every 3 games going (one every two games he's started this season) and long may it continue.

In the 2nd period of extra time United created two glorious chances to wrap the game up, first kelbie burst past keeper McDonald but his goalbound shot was cleared off the line by a defender and then right at the end McConnell was left unmarked in the six-yard box and McDonald somehow managed to save what looked like a certain goal. Sandwiched in between these two efforts was a Cushley shot from a short free kick rolled to him by Locky which McDonald somehow squeezed past the post. Chris Ramsay went down with severe cramp but bravely soldiered on to the end. McDonald came up for a corner which caused some panic in the home defence as referee Courtney played every last second of time. Finally the whistle sounded and United were in the next round, but only just. Hopefully come May as we bring home the Irish cup, we'll be saying, 'do you remember that sitter Ards missed in the first round'? We can only believe!




O'Neill (8), M. Smith (7), Archie (6), Alb. Watson (8), Ramsay (7), Aid Watson (6), (Sub: Cushley 7, ), Carson (7), (Sub: McConnell 7,), Haveron (7)(Sub: Anderson 7,), Colligan (7), Locky (7), Kelbie (7)


Man of the match: 'Prince' Albert Watson