Brick Wall!

United manager Spike has come face to face with the 'brick wall' that has stomped all United managers in the last 23 years. He can plan all he likes, get them super fit, but he can't instil belief in them and we have been sadly lacking that since '89. Omar tells the story of that '89 cup run (to anybody that will listen), when he asked the players (Billy Piper, Ricky Simpson etc)before the 3rd round at Seaview what did they think about their chances, they answered to a man, that were going to win the cup and they duly did. I think that was the last time we had a group of players that truly believed in themselves and that's what we need right now. During Roy Walker's reign we had some good times, away from home especially, but when we came to a big occasion like a derby game or a cup match, we were at best mediocre, I fervently hope history is not going to repeat itself in Spike's reign.

Spike in his wisdom named the same team as in the last game at home to Dungannon Swifts, continuing with Archie at leftback, where he is a 'fish out of water' and insisting we play a 4,3,3 formation. We have not got the players for this system, to play this system well you need three all-round midfielders who can tackle, win balls and create openings, not the three we have, who fall woefully short on at least two of those skills. When he tried to switch yesterday to a 3,5,2 formation, we just fell apart and Johnny Taylor who has been our rock all season seemed to lose his focus and got caught on the hop which led to the scum's third goal and was adjudged to give away a penalty after that. It was obvious to me, a 'layman', that our defenders weren't happy playing 3,5,2 which is almost as hard as playing 4,3,3. If he wanted to play that system, he should kept Tony Kane on and substituted Ally, who was virtually a passenger anyway, with Ross Black. Kane and Black would have made two excellent wing-backs instead the holes in our defence we were left with the personnel he had on.

The story of the match was typical of this season, United started brightly created the first real chance when Jamie D strength took past the scum defence and with the goal at his mercy could only find the crossbar. That chance came in the 6th minute and four minutes later tragedy struck when Captain Jenks came off worst in a tackle and despite going back on after treatment he had to be substituted with Sparky taking his place. United had been struggling before Jenks had to go off, but it's true to say we struggled worse after this and the midfield belonged to the scum. They were stroking the ball about with consummate ease and Nelson in the United goal was the only thing stopping them. In one incident Tony Kane let his man cross the ball, but when this was partially cleared, Gavin didn't track his man and Nelson was relieved to see the ball finish wide of the posts. But this didn't stop him admonishing Gavin in no uncertain terms.

Just when it seemed we were holding out to halftime, Sparky lost his marker, Heggarty, who found Scullion on the right and when he crossed Boyce was all alone in the middle and he stroked the ball home. I felt surely this will sting United and get them going but the match continued with Coleraine dominating the midfield area to such an extent that you would thought United were a man a down. We managed to hold out to halftime despite the 2 minutes added on by referee Andy Hunter who gave his usual abysmal performance, booking Cush for an attempted overhead kick, which had no malice intended and forgetting to make the scum player who received treatment at the touchline, go off the field, or is that at the referee's discretion and not a rule and if this is so, why don't we see more of this happening in matches or is it that Andy's merely incompetent. Answers on a postcard to the Sky Blue Sport, etc. or maybe Stephen Alexander will give an overview in the Times.

2nd half
I was dismayed to see United take the field with the same team and attempt to play the same system. As in the first half we started brightly and Sparky directed a free header into the grateful arms of Cullen (Skink or is it Skunk), in the scum goal. Then the referee and linesman combined to stop us in our tracks when Archie was late-tackled, instead playing the advantage rule, play was called back to deep in our half. From the resultant free-kick the scum set up an attack and Heggarty was given a free run down the left to beat Nelson easily to make the score 2-0 in the 56 minute. Then Fergie pulled his master-stroke, bringing off Kane and bringing on Lowry and in the 65th minute the home team wrapped up the points with the United defence all at sea, leaving Scullion to pick his spot with a sweet left-foot shot. Cush who was lucky to stay on the field after a two-footed tackle was fouled in the box but Hunter ignored United's pleas for a penalty. Then Sparky missed an easy chance when he could only direct a shot past with the goal at his mercy from a cross by Jamie D.

Spike played his last trump card bringing on McCabe for the limping Cush but it was the home team that were creating all the chances. They should've added a fourth when referee Hunter awarded them a rather dubious penalty, judging that Johnny Taylor fouled in the box, but it looked at best to be obstruction or nothing at all. Curtis Allen's spot kick was saved by Nelson who also saved the follow-up to give United hope. Ally, who had been a virtual passenger throughout the match won a corner on the left, took it himself and Cookie challenged the scum keeper, who dropped the ball and Gary Thompson prodded it over the line. That goal came in the 84 minute but United just continued to play the same way and we were punished in the 91 minute when Allen had all the time in the world to pick his spot with the United defence in disarray. This was a disgraceful display by United, the only player that can lift his head and say I gave my all is keeper Dwayne Nelson, the rest of them need to have a rethink!

Nelson (8), Kane (5)Sub: Lowry 5,), Archie (5), Cookie (5), Taylor (6), Thompson (6), Gavin (5), Jenks (6)(Sub: Sparky 5,), Ally (4), Cush (6)(Sub: McCabe 5,), Jamie D (6)

Man of the match: Dwayne Nelson