Kelbie Express!

With just one change from Saturday's starting line-up, Ramsay for Aiden, United were in need of a quick start against the league leaders and that's just what they got. A long clearance from Chris Ramsay was chased by the speedy Kelbie and when visiting keeper John Connelly hesitated, Kelbie nonchalantly headed the ball over the static keeper and into the net, with just two minutes on the clock. Three minutes later Locky burst through the heavy-footed visitor's defence but unfortunately his shot was straight at the keeper. With seven minutes on the clock United doubled their lead after some clever wing-play from new signing Gary Muir. Muir and Colligan combined down the left, before the Scot fired over a driving cross, which was headed back by Mike Smith for the unmarked Surgenor to hammer into the net and put the Sky Blues two up.

As the league leaders attempted to get back in the game they were aided and abetted by a very one-sided refereeing display by former United player Dessie Loughrey and a linesman at the Fisherwick end who was never up with play and missed half a dozen offsides. With 20 minutes gone Dessie harshly punished Locky for an alleged foul and also booked him in the process. Despite Dessie counting out a good twelve paces (he always did have short legs), the United wall stood firm and the ball was diverted for a corner. Loughrey also penalised United defenders Archie and Albert, when visiting forwards made no attempt to head the ball, he adjudged that United's two central defenders were at fault.

After 30 minutes Dessie again penalised United's Gary Haveron for what looked like a good tackle and from the free-kick Albert was unlucky to see his attempted clearing header find the net via a post for an inglorious own-goal. As the Reds surged forward after this fortunate score we witnessed one of those bizarre incidents which bring refereeing standards here to the depths of ineptitude. United's Gary Muir made a clumsy challenge for a high ball and then got entangled with a Red's player ,who clearly punched the United man and for good measure shoved his hand into his face as he lay on the ground. The referee didn't even stop play and when the ball was thrown into touch by our keeper, he took no action against the Cliftonville offender.

Despite renewed pressure from the visitors the United defence held firm, although Chris Ramsay had to come to his side's rescue on one occasion with a timely interception. United keeper Dwayne Nelson was struggling with his back-passes, failing to clear his lines, but luckily his gaffes went unpunished as Cliftonville failed to take advantage of his mistakes. Next we had an announcement that the referee had signalled there would be 3 minutes of added time at the end of the first half. Where Dessie had found this 3 minutes, there had been no hold-ups that I could remember, nobody knows or when it was due to start either as from the time the announcement was made, we actually played about another 8 minutes and still the league leaders couldn't score.

United started brightly in the 2nd half and for a while it was end-to-end stuff, but gradually the visitors started to increase the pressure forcing countless corners, without ever looking like scoring. When United did manage a counter-attack they were thwarted by some strange decisions from the referee who pulled them up for innocuous fouls. One such incident occurred when Kelbie waltzed down the left wing before setting up Surgenor. The make-shift striker's attempt was blocked by the keeper but as United tried to carry on the referee blew for a mysterious offence only he witnessed. As the visitor's became frustrated the referee finally found his yellow cards and cautioned a couple of players for viciously late tackles, but it was too little too late.

United were finding plenty of gaps in the visitor's rearguard as they pushed forward in search of an equaliser and in this regard Kelbie was in his element as he teased and tormented former United player Kieran Donaghy, son of Norn iron legend Mal Donaghy. As Kelbie broke after a sustained bit of pressure from the visitors, Gary Haveron cleverly threaded the ball though to his strike partner Surgenor and he burst into the Red's penalty area. It looked like he must score but visiting keeper Connolly managed to divert Marky's shot off his legs for a corner. When the corner was taken by Muir it fell to Albert in the 'D' and as he advanced and got off his shot he was 'cleaned' by a Reds defender. I was sure this was a penalty, but Dessie gave a free just outside the box.

Up stepped top scorer Kelbie and his left-foot screamed bounced clear off the post. The Reds rang the changes with the much heralded Liam Boyce being replaced, but by then they were down to desperation tactics. They had one chance late on when a header looked to be going in before Colligan popped up to head it clear. Gary Haveron and Locky looked dead on their feet but manager Walker was loath to change a team who were obviously having the game of their lives. After 90 minutes came the inevitable announcement that the referee had added 3 minutes of stoppage time, but when that started was anybody's guess as it seemed to last about another 10 minutes. During this period of added time I thought Kelbie had scored when he cut inside before hitting a vicious left-foot shot, but as I jumped to my feet I saw it had merely been into the side-netting.

That was more or less Kelbie's last bit of action as he came off to a standing ovation to be replaced by Johnny McLaughlin. Dessie finally succumbed to father time and blew his final whistle and the United fans breathed a big sigh of relief as they applauded their heroes off the field. It had been a close run thing at times, but in the end I believe we were worthy of our victory. We're not out of the woods yet by any means and Institutes's victory over Dungannon merely highlighted that. On the plus side the Coleraine scum were beaten again and anytime we win and they lose, in my book, is pretty good!


Nelson (8), Ramsay (8), Colligan (8), Albert (8), Archie (8), M. Smith (8), Locky (8), Haveron (8), Muir (8), Surgenor (8), Kelbie (8)(Sub: McLaughlin (7)

Man of the match: Kevin Kelbie