Ally's Answer!

The Sky Blue Sport teams were long and loud in their match preview about Ally Teggart's influence on this afternoon's game and he didn't disappoint us. Not only was he influential in attack, linking up with Archie, but when the chips were down due to the harsh sending off of Cookie, he slotted in at leftback as if he had played there all his life. This was a match that United should've won comfortably, I alone counted 7 clear-cut chances in a one-sided first half and due to the sending off, they were left to defend in depth in the last 20 minutes of normal time and the four minutes referee Heatherton saw fit to add on. United manager Roy Walker made two changes to his starting line-up from last Saturday, Rodgers for Watson and the fit again Wayne Drummond for Nelson.

United attacking the Fisherwick end forced a corner in five minutes, Ally took the kick,the Whites defence failed to deal with it and Captain Jenks muffed his shot at the back post, a real let-off for the visitors. Two minutes later Cutch got a sight of goal and from 25 yards tested Brennan in the visitors goal, but he was equal to the task. Then from another Ally corner, delivered with precision, Baker headed over with the goal at his mercy. Cutch was next to try his luck when a Whites defender forced him onto his left-foot, but Brennan was equal to his blistering shot, albeit at the second attempt. Then we were treated to a delightful piece of football, as Ally and Archie, combined down to left and Archie's cross found Baker, but the striker steered his shot wide.

Curtis Woods not to be outdone was doing some overlapping down the right and was ever mindful of the fact that he had Downey playing in front of him and he tended to put his crosses over too early instead of getting to the byline and cutting the ball back. From a corner on the right, won by Curtis's blocked cross, Ally delivered another gem and when the ball was played out to him again, he found Baker lurking at the far post and with the goal at his mercy and needing a touch, Jordan tried to blast it and put it wide. I said to a a fellow fan that I fervently hoped we wouldn't pay for this wastefulness in front of goal and in a rare breakaway, old boy David Cushley, saw his shot blocked by Woods, a warning.

For the rest of the half United tending to over-elaborate, playing some nice football in the process, but it was taking 12 passes to get an opening and the visitors weren't that good. The linesman at the Fisherwick did us no favours when Jenks was tripped in the box, a clear penalty and later on there was a deliberate handball ignored by the referee, Then when Jenks won the ball at the halfway line and fed Cutch, the wee man was blatantly scythed down by a Whites defender, the referee waved play on as we had possession, but when the move came to nothing I fully expected the visiting player to get a caution, but the referee took no action. Luckily Cutch was able to continue after treatment, but he limped for a few minutes after that. Halftime was reached with the score still level at 0-0 and I was wondering if our manager would bring on the fit again Aaron Boyd in the 2nd period for the misfiring Baker.

2nd Half
United took the field with the same personnel, but it was obvious there would have to be a change made and 15 minutes after the restart Downey made way for Eamon Murray. Suddenly we looked dangerous, with Murray and Woods combining well down the right and Eamon looking like his old self. The linesman at the Fisherwick end started brightly, flagging two times in succession for offsides, but then missed another two, before getting another one right, but I was getting worried. David Cushley, had been late in tackling a couple of times, one on Archie in the first half was particularly vicious and he continued in this vein in the second half. When he went in rather clumsily on Cookie Munster, the United defender remonstrated with him and Cushley dived like he had been hit by lightening. The upshot was that referee Heatherton booked Cushley and red-carded Cookie, for reacting to a vicious tackle.

I, in my pessimism thought that was that, but from the resultant free kick, Murray sent Woods away down the right, he got to the byline and crossed and the goal machine, Cutch, took the ball on his chest, before drilling his shot in the visitors net to put United a goal up. The visitors took off Larmour and brought on Ligget, hoping to get something from the match and the linesman missed another off-side in the build-up of a move, but Ligget headed in to the grateful arms of Drummond in the United goal. United took off Cutch and brought on Boyd and his fresh legs gave the visiting defence something to think about. In fact his persistence nearly paid off when the visitors were lucky to get the ball away and when Murray tried to volley the loose ball it ballooned away across pitch much to the amusement of the home fans.

Ally moved back into leftback as Archie moved into the centre and he played as if he had been playing that position all his days. His reading of the game was superb and he combined well with Murray and Boyd down the left. From a corner he won Jenks was unlucky to see his header flashed past the post. Referee Heatherton saw fit to book Jenks for delaying the game and Drummond for time-wasting and if that wasn't enough he added 4 minutes of stoppage time. The visitors threw everything in to attack and manager Walker took Baker off and replaced him with Gavin Taggart. I was always fearful the visitors would nick one and when Cushley was allowed to get his cross in for Ligget to score the linesman's flag come to our rescue. Despite a few scares we saw out the remainder of the match to record our first home win of the season and it sets us up very nicely for the trip next Saturday to play the Coleraine scum!

Drummond (7), Woods (7), Archie (7), Cookie (6), Rodgers (7), Downey (5)(Sub: Murray 7,), Sparky (7), Jenks (6), Ally (8), Baker (5)(Taggart 6,), Cutch (8)(Boyd 7,)

Man of the match: Ally (Alan Taggart)