Away Glee!

United continued their impressive away form with this a 4-2 win at the Oval against a poor Glentoran side. The United manger rung the changes, picking big Denver to partner Liam Watson at the centre of his defence and moving Archie to leftback. Sparky partnered Jenks in midfield and there was a surprise recall of Elvis Costello up front. United didn't offer much of a threat in the first half, playing with one man up front and allowing the home team to build from the back. Archie was having a torrid time at leftback and was lucky to survive a penalty appeal when he appeared to up-end Glens winger O'Hanlon. Time and again the Glens winger teased and tormented Archie and it looked like only a matter of time before the home team took the lead.

United goalkeeper, Wayne Drummond, playing his third match, was equal to a shot from from Ward of Glentoran, tipping it over the bar for a corner. On a rare breakaway Elvis got in a shot, but Morris in the home goal pushed it out. From a Carson corner Archie failed to challenge Gallagher and despite United claims for offside, Howland standing on the goal-line poked home to give his team the lead, much to the consternation of Drummond and his co-defenders the goal was allowed to stand. That goal came in the 35th minute and I couldn't see how United would turn this round. They did manage to mount an attack before the interval, but Morris in the Glens goal, saved smartly from Jenks.

2nd Half

The second half started like the first, with the home team dictating the play and it seemed as though United were quite content to let them. Fifteen mins into the half that suddenly changed and after Jenks had had a shot blocked, he found his fellow Scot, Cutch and United's leading marksman hammered the ball into the net. Ten minutes later Cutch fed Elvis and the big striker shrugged off a challenge, cut in on the by-line before finding Cutch's head with an inch perfect pass and the wee striker headed United to 2-1 lead. Glens made a substitution then taking off Hamilton and bringing Waterworth (who is known to United fans as the keeper wrecker), as the home manager needed to change things. Liam Watson, who had been a tower of strength in the United defence, picked up an injury and had to be substituted and the United bench to my mind made a crucial error, bringing on Downey to replace him, necessitating Sparky to take over defensive his duties.

Surely it would have been better to have used any of the two defenders on the defence, Vauls and Rodgers and let Sparky continue in his midfield role. As it was we seemed to lose focus and Waterworth out-sprinted big Denver and slipped past Drummond to bring the sides level again in the 77th minute. Roy Walker had seen enough and he replaced Sparky with Rodgers, although I felt aggrieved for Sparky who had done nothing wrong. I thought we would try and hold out for a draw, but Cutch and Jenks had other ideas. There seemed little danger when Cutch was found on the left flank, but the wee man beat a couple of markers and found his fellow Scot Jenks and he gleefully headed home to nudge the Sky Blues (playing in their away strip of white), back in front.

That goal came in the 81st minute and 3 minutes later Cutch won a tussle for the ball against the Glens centre half and held his nerve to slot the ball past Glens keeper Elliot Morris to make it four and grab his hat-trick in the process. Despite a few scares and some near misses United held on gamely for the last 6 minutes of normal time and the added 2 mins, to record their 4th straight win away from home, in this topsy turvy season. On the plus side we've scored 20 goals this season in the league, 15 in away matches and only conceding 8, of the home form, I'll not mention that, some things are best left unsaid!

Drummond (7), Kane (7), Archie (6), Watson (8)(Sub: Downey 6,),Denver (7), Baker (6), Sparky (7)(Sub: Rodgers 7,), Jenks (8), Ally (7), Elvis (7), Cutch (8)

Man of the match: Gary McCutcheon (Cutch)