Flat Beer!

I think this title aptly sums up United's display today. You know how it is, you open a bottle of beer and that first drink is oh so good, but after two gulps you realise it's gone flat, you may drink the remainder but in all honesty it should go down the plug hole. This was United's performance today, 3 goals up after only thirteen minutes and after that we wasted about thirteen more chances, we won quite easily, but it was not a professional job. Manager Roy Walker made only two changes to his starting line-up and four positional changes. Omitted were Gibbo and Taggart and in came Gazza and Rory Carson to form a new central midfield partnership, with Murray swapping wings (left to right) and Hanly going to the left. Sparky moved upfront with Cutch and Mike Smith reverted to his rightback slot.

United took only two minutes to get the scoring started when Cutch found Rory outside the area and his vicious right-foot shot ripped into the corner of the net. Three minutes later the score was doubled when Murray skipped past his marker, cut inside and his shot deflected over the keepers head into the net. Murray delivered a great cross two minutes later, but none of United's two strikers could take advantage. With thirteen minutes on the clock, Archie came from nowhere to curl a left-foot shot into the net for his second senior goal in a United shirt and put the Sky Blues 3-0 ahead. Surely now I thought with us in the ascendency we would go on and finish the home team off, making the 2nd half a formality.

But then I remembered this is the team who seem to like to give their opponents a glimmer of hope as they fritter away chance after chance. Our defence stood up to everything they threw at us, with keeper Dwayne Nelson in tip-top form, although he still hasn't learned to come for crosses with his feet up and allows opponents to challenge him, which as we well know can have fatal consequences. Murray, obviously more at home on the right skipped down the wing again and Sparky just failed to get to his driven cross. The home keeper made a good stop from another Murray shot after a Hanly corner had fell to him and then Gage's follow up just cleared the crossbar. Despite at least three more chances, United failed to add to their score and halftime was reached with United 3-0 ahead.

2nd half

Murray didn't come out for the 2nd period and Mo took his place on the right and despite creating at least another half dozen chances United couldn't add to their tally as they tended to over-elaborate when they got close to goal. Carson, who had gone off the boil a bit was replaced by the fit-again Lee Colligan, who moved to a wide left position, with Hanly moving into central-midfield. Mo was getting some very rough treatment from the home defence and when he won a free-kick about 30 yards from goal, United came up with a novel effort. Colligan chipped a left-foot cross into the area and Albert headed it goalwards, only for the keeper to make a last ditch save at the expense of a corner.

After committing the second of two fouls, neither of them bad, Lee Colligan became the first player to be booked, while the home team's number four got off with blue murder, or should I say Sky Blue murder. Luckily the home team were devoid of ideas and Dwayne dealt capably with their long range shots. Having said that I always knew they'd get one chance and it finally came about midway through the 2nd period. Gage and Albert got caught out of position and their number 10 got a free run on goal, but luckily for United Mike Smith got back to deflect his shot for a corner. Hanly was the third player to be replaced with Young taking his place. Mo was chopped down by the home number 4 once more and this time referee McFadden showed him a yellow card. United of course completely messed up with this free kick, Cutch who was badly out of touch today, blasting wide of the goal.

United frittered away several more chances, first when Cutch cut in from the right only to drive his shot into the side-netting and then when Gazza eluded a crude tackle down the left and our forwards stood and watched as his cross went for a throw-in. Cutch did manage to thread a ball to Sparky but he was adjudged to be offside, but I couldn't say for sure. With injury time approaching the home team's number four committed a bad foul on Young and referee McFadden had little alternative but to caution him once more, his second offence, which meant he was sent off. as if to even things up he then cautioned Albert for an innocuous foul as the match drew to a close. We had achieved the objective, we were through to the next round, but it could've been and should've been, a lot more convincing, a vast improvement will be needed, but at least we're still in the mix!

Nelson (7), M. Smith (7), Archie (8), Gage (7), Albert (7), Murray (8)(Sub: Mo 6,), Rory (8)(Sub: Colligan 6,), Gazza (7), Hanly (6)(Sub: Young 7,), Sparky (6), Cutch (5)

Man of the match: Rory Carson