Our Nero!

Historians tell us that Roman Emperor Nero sat and fiddled while Rome burned, no he didn't play the violin, he just sat in his throne and did nothing. When Ballymena were losing to Carrick Rangers last night, Roy Walker sat in his box and did nothing, the 'body language' said it all (or lack of it), Roy and his back-room staff were devoid of ideas and resigned themselves to yet another home defeat. Sky Blue Sport urged him to try the two new defenders, Watson and Vauls at some stage during the proceedings. But Roy completely ignored our suggestion, picking the same side that so unconvincingly won at Donegal Celtic and when we were chasing the game couldn't bring on either of them and move another defender forward. On this showing, he obviously doesn't care about the 'long-suffering' Sky Blue supporters and I think his time is up.

We lost two nil and that was hard to take, but even harder to take was the way we played. We kept knocking the long ball up even though the Carrick defence won everything in the air, no idea on how to break the stalemate. Jenks, who has relinquished the Captaincy, isn't the player he was purported to be and it is hard to justify his boat fare over on his displays so far. United are certainly living to the Ballymena 'High' nickname, with the third highest goals for total, but on the reverse we also have third highest goals against column, for the record 10 for and 11 against. This makes for disgraceful reading and we are where we belong in the league table, in the bottom six and I think on this showing we have further to fall.
Our joint leading goalscorers missed two sitters in the first half with free headers, the Cutch one was bad enough, straight at the keeper, but Baker done everything right, stealing a march on his marker to get a free header on Ally Teggart's free-kick, but headed over with the goal at his mercy.

That was as good as it got, Jenks forced Keenan, the Carrick, into a save and despite forcing several corners, they were 'bread and butter' for the Carrick defence. United paid dearly for this benevolence in front of goal when Carrick were awarded a free-kick about 30 yards from goal. The United defensive wall let the kick by former United defender Davey McAlinden through their legs and Nelson in the Ballymena goal could do nothing about it. Carrick had purpose about them and they had subjected our defence to what they don't like with long throw-ins and we were panicky. Luckily we survived to halftime without conceding any more goals, foolishly thinking Roy would do something about in his halftime team-talk.

2nd half
We took the field with the same players and tried to play the same dross, which had little or no effect and it was obvious a change would have to be made. Chris Rodgers filling at rightback as Tony Kane serves the last of two match ban and Eamon Murray, not back his best yet, made way for Costello and the fit again Sparky. It really was like for like, Costello is useless in the air and he has singularly failed to fulfil the promise of his first match in United jersey. I was personally worried about Archie and his failure to cope with the Carrick number 9, but Roy couldn't obviously substitute his 'golden boy'. He had no qualms about sacking Gazza in the close season, but couldn't see that Archie was struggling as he has done all season. The crowd were getting restless, the Ballymena bench just sat in their box and you could see the defence panicking every time Carrick attacked.

Then it happened, a Carrick forward broke away down the right, Archie completely missed his tackle, the forward cut-in, his cross deflected into the the path of Heatly who had the easiest task of making the score 2-0. We were a beaten team but credit to the lads they kept on trying, unlike their management team who sat and fiddled. We had only used two subs, but the bench were devoid of ideas. I must mention an unsavoury incident which no way was a reflection on the match as a whole, when the whole-hearted Gavin Taggart, tackled a Carrick player in a midfield collision and the player started yelling like his leg was broke and then immediately got up when he saw Gavin got booked, this has got no place in football and the referee should have surely taken his name for play-acting, but referee Courtenay (Ham-Shank), took no action.

Nelson (6), Rodgers (5)( Sub: Sparky 6,), Cookie (6), Archie (5), R. Black (6), Murray (5)(Sub: Elvis 5,), Jenks (5), G. Taggart (5), Ally (6), Cutch (5), Baker (5)

Man of the match: Alan Teggart