Knock-on Effect!

United suffered a knock-on effect from their narrow win over Ballymoney United, last night at Dixon Park, Ballyclare, against newly promoted Ards. United were second best to the 'nomads' of Irish league football, it is a well known fact that Ards haven't had a home ground since 1998 and despite several assurances over the last 15 years, don't look like getting one in the near future. But its maybe this nomadic existence that binds them as a team, they definitely played as a team last night, not like United, who were a shadow of the team that beat the Crues and the Swifts, more like the team that just got by Ballymoney United on Monday. United manager Glenn Ferguson sprung a surprise, when he made one change from his starting line-up of last Saturday, Neal Gawley for the enigma that is Neal Lowry and although Gawley acquitted himself well, he hasn't got Lowry's pace and guile.

United like on Monday night, were allowed to play the ball in their own half, but it usually broke down due to a misplaced pass or a big hoof up the field which easily dealt with by the Ards defence. Shane Mario Dolan was an isolated figure up front, who never looked like getting the better of Ards central defenders in the air, but he came in for some rough treatment and no protection from referee Deighan, who was conned by Ards players all night, lying down and holding their heads. The United midfield were sadly over-run, where Alan D was a virtually a passenger and Thommo and Jenks constantly got caught in possession, by the super-fit Ards midfield. Having said that the first real scoring chance fell to United when a Tony Kane free-kick was eventually stopped by Ards keeper McKibbin who had a superb game.

Ards continued to look the more lively but some of their shots were miles off-target, laughable really, but maybe they were just sighters and they weren't afraid to have a go. Their manager Niall Currie was vociferous in his condemnation but he was also encouraging his team nonetheless, the Ballymena bench seemed silent by comparison. United blew a great chance to take the lead with 29 mins gone, when Ally skipped past two defenders but Gawley somehow missed his driven cross, it seemed to only need a touch. Two mins later United were made to pay for that 'miss' when Ards winger Roy found some space between Marky and Tony and rifled an unstoppable shot past the outstretched arms of Dwayne and into the top corner of the net to give Ards a one-goal lead.

United spurned a chance to get back on level terms when Ally broke through but delayed his shot and a defender got back to clear the danger for a corner. Despite forcing another corner, United couldn't find a way through a resolute Ards defence, where keeper McKibbin used his height to pluck the ball out of the air with assurance and when he dropped one, no United man was able to take advantage, too slow. Ards it has to be said broke up the play by 'bluffing' the referee with 'bogus' head injuries and the referee was conned throughout the match by their antics. But as they say its all in the game and both teams can use these ploys, but we were devoid of ideas, we had no plan B. About two mins before halftime, Ards scorer Roy went down injured and I like all United fans thought he was 'bluffing' but he had to be helped off and took no further part in the match. Two mins later the ref blew for halftime and we thought surely Glenn will change it, but we were wrong.

2nd half
United took the field 'early' as befits a team chasing the match and it was obviously our manager had no fresh ideas or team talk, because we took the field with the same eleven players. Ards however made two substitutions Smith replaced Henderson and Faulkner for the injured Roy and Faulkner turned out to be a match clinching substitution. Try as they might United could not get anything going and it was obvious a change would have to be made but like 'Nero', Spike fiddled and we were getting burned. Alan D was having a 'stinker', getting caught in possession time and time again and little was seen of United in attacking mode and the hosts were attacking from the wings and when they couldn't get by us with fair means, they resorted to foul means,'conning' the ref and he fell for it.

This was epitomised in a one minute spell when an Ards midfielder fouled a United player and should've been booked but the referee took no action and 30 seconds later the same player took a dive from a 50/50 tackle with Neal Gawley and the United man was booked. This wrongful booking seemed to spur Spike into action and Gawley was subbed with Liggie taking his place. This made little or no difference as far as I could see, but we spurned a great chance to get on level terms, when Mario found Alan D in the box but he shot weakly and the Ards keeper gathered easily, a dreadful miss and it just about summed the night for Alan D and United, an awful performance. Ards struck the final 'nail in the coffin' for United when substitute Faulkner eluded Steely easily and beat Dwayne with a cross/cum shot which went into the net via the far post.

That goal came 11 mins from time and Glenn subbed Steely with Neal Lowry taking his place but I thought it was too little too late, he should have had them both on at halftime instead of 60 mins and and 82nd mins respectively and it would be truth to say, this made no difference to us. Alan D added insult to injury, trying two 'long shots' from the halfway line, which didn't trouble the Ards keeper, I thought idly he's trying to be a Cush, but he hasn't got the Cush's skill. Despite 5 mins of injury time the match petered out and United came down to earth with a bump, they had started the league in joint-second and a win would have taken them up to joint top, but as it was they slipped to fifth and with the next four matches coming up, at home to Ports and Chickenville and away to Linfield and the Glens the bottom three beckons, unless Spike and the three baldies can turn it around, I wish them luck!

Dwayne (7), Kane (6), Marky (6), Johnny (6), Steely (6)(Sub: Lowry 6,), Thommo (6), Jenks (6), Alan D (5), Gawley (6)(Sub: Liggie 6,), Mario (6), Ally (7)

Man of the match: Ally

Fergies Bloomer!

United boss Glen Ferguson chose to ignore the advice handed out to him in Sky Blue Sport news and made wholesale changes to his starting line-up. In all he made eight changes to his starting line-up of last Saturday's match against Dungannon Swifts and worst of all he only had two first teamers as his subs, in Dwayne and McCullagh. When I read the team on twitter, I thought to myself 'if I had known that an hour ago I would have stayed at home', with all the rest of the so called United faithful. Out went Dwayne, replaced by Addis,out went Taylor, Steely and McCullagh to the bench, in came Archie, Cookie and Ruddy. Out went Jenks and Alan D, in came Gavin and Eoin Gillan and upfront out went Ally and Mario and in came Liggie and Duffin.

On paper it wasn't a bad team, they had lots of first team experience, with the exception of Gillan, but there was no cohesion, but they should have had more class than a team two divisions below them. Gary Thompson had a stinker of a match, he kept getting caught in possession, could pass water and gave me the impression he wanted the match over as quick as possible, but he wasn't prepared to take part in it and the Ballymoney keeper got a hand to his penalty in the shoot-out, but luckily it crossed the goal-line. Liggie upfront was a disaster, but he did win us the free-kick that kept us in the match, but otherwise he was a virtual passenger. Duffin was useless except for his corners but we couldn't capitalise on them and we must have forced about 16 or 17 and only scored from one and there were some glaring misses.

United were content to pass the ball about at the back, but this inevitability ended up with a big 'hoof' up on the middle, where Liggie didn't want to know or onto the wing where Duffin would run it out of play. In the 13 minutes disaster struck, Addis brought down Eoin Bradley in the penalty area and was lucky to stay on the field, getting only a yellow card for his indiscretion. Bradley took the resultant spot-kick and despite Stuarty's gamesmanship, trying unsettle him, neatly tucked away the penalty on the keepers right. Now we were up against it but should have got back level when Tony Kane found Liggie in acres of space and with the goal at his mercy his header struck the crossbar, a horror of a miss.

Neal Lowry was having a better game than Saturday, but he was stuck on the left wing and had to cut inside every time but he had no-one to pass to for Liggie didn't want to know. Ballymoney were growing in confidence and they nearly got another goal when Thommo tried a back-pass right out of Alan D category (V Glenavon) and Addis got in a tangle with Bradley and United somehow got the decision for a trip but I thought it should have been another penalty with Addis getting a yellow card, but luckily the decision fell our way. Eoin Gillan, who has been raved about in the reserves had a chance to make a name for himself when he found himself in space outside the box on two occasions but fired the ball harmlessly over the bar, what a waste of time and effort. Halftime was reached with us still trailing 1-0 and I could see no way for us to get back on level terms, but we had to try.

2nd half
The news at halftime that the scum were down 1-0 did little to improve my despondency and the substitution of Gillan who was replaced by Leroy Millar, but I consoled myself that I had heard of him and he acquitted himself well. United continued to miss chances, Cookie got a free header to a Duffin corner and headed the ball down and over the bar and then it was Duffin's turn with his head inside the six-yard box, a dreadful miss. Finally we got a foothold in the match in 68 mins when Archie soared above everybody from a Duffin corner and found the back of the net with a crisp header. We were back on level terms and I sensed the relief in the paltry home crowd, admittedly it was not a good game, but you have to be there to support your team, in my opinion.

But try as they might United couldn't find the winner and the visitors started to believe, urged on by their vociferous supporters in the home stand. The frustrations of United and their fans were obvious and even the arrival of manger Ferguson all suited up in his Sunday best failed to goad the team in to action. Duffin pulled up injured and was replaced by McCullagh with Kane moving to right-midfield. The visitors had a chance to put the tie beyond United's reach when leftback McGarry went on a surging run past three defenders and I was relieved to see his shot sail over the crossbar. Eoin Bradley shrugged off Archie and managed to get a shot in but luckily it missed the target. United were hanging on at this stage and in a period of 5 minutes pressure when they couldn't get the ball cleared it looked ominous, but we survived.

Extra Time
The visitors deservedly took the lead in 6 mins in extra time when number 11 Bradley, neatly side-stepped Archie and found the back of the net with a low shot. How United failed to get on level terms on the halftime whistle beggars belief, when the ball looked like going in from a header and then a shot only to be thwarted by a goal-line clearance. They finally a snatched a wholly undeserved equaliser in the 2nd minute of the 2nd half of extra time. Liggie was hauled down just outside the box and Tony Kane struck a superb free-kick into the top corner of the net that's was worthy of the admission price alone. United were back in the game and Tony was taking the corners now and Gary Thompson capped his night of woe when he missed with a free header from a Tony corner, when it looked easier to score.

Tony almost won the tie on his own when he spotted the keeper off his line but his shot from 45 yards sailed just past with the keeper stranded and then it was the dreaded penalties. Mike Ruddy despatched the first one with aplomb, Stuarty saved Bradley's kick and then Thommo had the luck when the keeper got a hand to his shot but couldn't stop it and it found the net. Ballymoney next penalty taker scored and then it was United's man of the match, Kane and he rifled it into the net, the visitors scored their next to make 3-2 in Sky Blues favour. Then it was the turn of Lowry and he made no mistake and the visitors scored again to make the score 4-3 and up stepped captain Archie to score and send United into round three and the visitors home empty-handed. Did we deserve it, I don't think so, but football is a game about taking your chances and we certainly left it late, but we came through and that's all that matters!

Addis (7), Tony (8), Ruddy (6), Archie (7), Cookie (6), Gillan (5)(Sub: Millar 6,), Thommo (5), Gavin (6), Lowry (6), Liggie (5), Duffin (6)(Sub: McCullagh 6,)

Man of the match: Tony Kane

Bogey Laid!

Its great to have to have that monkey off our back, but as usual we made heavy weather over it and it should have been easy. Readers or reader as the case may be, of my match reports, will know that I'm not a particular fan of United Captain Alan Jenkins, but what I will say in his favour, in my humble opinion, he is a leader. But he blotted his copy book in my eyes when he let Alan D take that penalty yesterday which would have moved us in to 2nd place in league table on goals scored. In the absence of Ally Teggart, off injured in the same incident that led to the penalty, it was up to the Captain to decide who took the kick and he made the wrong choice. Rusty Ray, who was sitting beside me, said and I quote, 'he'll either score or send the ball up Warden Street', Rusty got it wrong, as Alan Davidson's spot-kick hit the crossbar, he didn't even work the keeper, what a waste.

That's not to take away from this victory, which was fully deserved, but it should have been an easy victory, but we held out for three points and that's all that counts. As expected, Fergie made one change from his starting line-up of last Saturday, Dolan for the injured Cush, as predicted on Sky Blue Sport news. United broke the deadlock on 14 mins when Jenks rose unchallenged in the penalty box to Ally's corner from the left and headed it into the back of the Swifts net to put the Sky Blues 1-0. As so often happens when a team score, we lost our concentration and let Swift's Ryan Harper try his luck from with a 25 yard shot. Dwayne came to our rescue when he parried that effort and then denied Boyce when he looked likely to score, a crucial piece of goalkeeping. United almost increased their lead five mins later, when Taylor stole in unnoticed at the far post from a free-kick, but his header was easy peasy for Swifts keeper Buchanan who gathered comfortably.

Little was seen of the Swifts from then on, but they did manage to force a few corners but the United defence dealt capably with them. James 'Susan Bap' Costello caused concern among our defenders but he was well marshalled by a combination of Ally and Steely McBride. Neil Lowry was at his frustrating worst and earned the wrath of his manager for not following up, when the ball was there to be won. Rusty Ray observed that isn't the way to get the best out Neil, he needs to be cajoled and he was virtual passenger for the rest of the half. However he did manage one cross worthy of the name, but in fact it was too good and nobody got on the end of it. We managed to hold out to halftime but it was obvious a change would be needed for we were practically a man down as Lowry had lost the plot and kept getting caught in possession when he should have passed or kicked the ball into touch at least.

2nd half
As expected Neil Lowry was subbed at halftime with Neil Gawley taking his place and he was by no means a star, but he was better than Lowry. The Jury is still out on new signing Steely McBride, he looks good going forward but his defending looks suspect. Dolan came within inches of increasing United's score, but his effort from a difficult angle came off the crossbar with keeper Buchanan stranded. In a spell of Swifts pressure, Dwayne made a save and released the ball to Steely and then a catalogue errors ensued which culminated in the Swifts getting a wholly undeserved equaliser on the hour mark. Steely seems to be one of those players who needs to take a touch before parting the ball and he didn't look ready to receive the ball from Dwayne, instead of hoofing it up-field, he decided to lay it back to Dwayne and Dwayne made a hash of his clearance and the ball fell kindly to a Swifts player.

Dwayne's was scurrying and trying to get back to his goal but when the shot came in, it hit McCullagh's hand and the ref gave a free-kick about five yards outside United's box. Dwayne had his 'wall' organised, but when Boyce shot, the 'wall' crumbled and the stranded Dwayne who was covering the other side of the goal, couldn't stop the shot and the Swift's were level. Questions need to be asked of this horlicks, who decided the 'wall' should jump in unison, if they had stayed on their feet they would have stopped the ball, by jumping they left a path straight to our goal and Swifts gleefully took it. United were back in front a minute later and it was from of all things a 'short corner'. Now I hate 'short corners' almost as much as I hate short free-kicks, but in this case it was a success.

Ally took the corner short to Alan D and for once he didn't have a wild 'lash' at it and sent it on target, some defender got a boot to it, the ball ballooned up and Thommo managed to hook it back across goal and Shane 'Mario' Dolan hammered it home with his left-foot to give United a 2-1 lead. Two mins later Steely went on a run which saw him beat two defenders but he couldn't find a man and the chance was lost. Referee Hetherington had an up and down day, he booked Thommo for clumsy challenge, shoulder charge went wrong, but earlier he had let a Swifts player off with a talking to for hauling Mario down. He punished United's Mark McCullagh for coming over the top on a headed challenge and let the Swifts players do it with question moments later. But he kept his biggest gaffe to 15 mins before the end of the match.

Johnny Taylor's long pass found Ally and the United striker was 'taken out' by Swift's keeper Buchanan, a penalty and a sending-off, but it merely brought the yellow card. Somebody said the defender was there to cover it but my argument is, the keeper went out to stop Ally and he had should have been sent off. Ally had to have treatment from the physio, but he is our penalty taker and the Captain was the man to take the responsibility, but he 'chickened out' in my opinion and let Alan D take the spot-kick. As I said earlier Alan didn't even make the keeper work and he had come from 'hero to zero', for it was he that took the decisive penalty when we won the County Antrim Shield back in December. Ally was able to continue and six minutes later, Mario was replaced by Liggie to a tremendous reception from the Sky Blue faithful. The Swifts took off Costello (Susan Bap), at this time and I was was giving him a clap as well. Fergie made his final sub, taking off Ally and bringing on Ruddy and he promptly got booked for not retreating at a free-kick, a senseless act.

The Swifts tried to come forward but it just was not their day and Boyce tried to fool the referee by taking a 'dive' in the box, but the ref told him to get up. In the three mins of added time we didn't even have a scare and Captain Jenks showed his strength by cutting out long balls and when he missed, there were the two rocks, Johnny and Mark, ably backed up by Dwayne. Finally the ref blew his whistle and we could celebrate the end of a legend, we hadn't beaten the Swifts in our own ground since March 2007 and last week we beat the Crues and it was even longer since we had beaten them at Seaview. I'm maybe getting ahead of myself, but is this to be a record breaking year for the Sky Blues? Lets keep our feet on the ground, we have a match on Monday against Ballymoney United in the league cup and we need to be up for that, but I'll allow myself a smile, its good to be a Sky Blue!


Dwayne (8), Kane (7), Steely (6), Marky (8), Johnny (8), Thommo (8), Jenks (7), Alan D (6), Lowry (5)(Sub: Gawley 6,), Mario (8)(Sub: Liggie 6,), Ally (8)(Sub: Ruddy 5,)

Man of the match: Johnny Taylor

Daylight Robbery!

I don't want to pour cold water on what was a great victory for the Sky Blues against the Crues at sunny Seaview, but we stole the points. But in saying that, the Crues missed a hatful of chances and United got a bit of luck, when a Shane Dolan effort took a deflection, wrong-footing former United keeper Sean O'Neil in the Crues goal to level the scores. Manager Glenn Ferguson made two changes from his starting line-up of last Saturday, McCullagh and Cush for Archie and Liggie. United were defending the goal at the Railway end of the ground in the first half but they struggled to come to terms with a resolute Crues defensive unit. The Crues on the other hand carved out some chances, but Dwayne and his defence dealt capably with anything they threw at us in the first half.

We rode our luck when a free-kick missed everybody as it flashed across our goalmouth and then Timmy Adamson got his head a cross but it missed the target. How Timmy Adamson did not get sent off for a vicious foul on McBride beggars belief, he only got a yellow. Disaster struck for United when Cush picked up a nasty injury and had to go off with Dolan taking his place. Hateley had a chance when Kane slipped on the false surface and Dwayne judged rightly that his shot was going wide. United carved out a chance when Thommo found Ally on the right but his cross, was cut out by King at the expense of a corner. Referee Andy Hunter drew the wrath of the Sky Blue faithful when he booked Taylor for a foul and Alan D for dissension but ignored a vicious foul by Eamon McAllister on Alan D moments later.

Justice seemed to have been done moments later when referee Hunter went down with what appeared to be cramp, but alas he was alright after the physio administrated the magic sponge. The referee added the requisite one minute and we held out to halftime, with Dwayne stopping Morrows effort as the seconds of the half ticked away and we went in at the break level pegging. We heard the good news that our old friends down the A26 (Coleraine scum), were losing 1-0 and it gave us something to be happy about and Omar's 67 minutes on first score was still a possibility, I told him he was dreaming, but he said you never know.

2nd half

In the 2nd half we started brightly but it was the Crues who took the lead on 55 mins through that man Adamson, when he got on the end of a through ball from McAllister and beat the advancing Dwayne to give the Crues the lead. The Ballymena goal lived a charmed life from this moment forward as the Crues carved out numerous chances and were denied by various methods including a great save by Dwayne and the crossbar. Archie had to come on to replace McCullagh and he was soon involved in the action and he stuck at the task and put last Saturday's defensive lapses behind him. In a Crues attack their former player Stephen McBride, now a Sky Blue, was felled when the ball struck his head and after treatment had to change his top, I assume it was bloody.

McAllister almost increased his team's lead when his shot struck the crossbar and we were under the cosh at this stage it has to be said. McAllister escaped another booking with a blatant dive in the box and Adamson kicked the ball away when play had been halted, but referee Hunter was unimpressed. The United fans were encouraging referee Hunter to take some action when O'Neill was time-wasting, but he ignored our protests. Neil Lowry, back from his trial at Scottish Premier club Hibs, looked jaded and it came as no surprise when he was replaced with 15 mins to go with Liggie. Exactly two mins after coming on, Liggie found Dolan in space and his goalbound shot was partially blocked by Crues defender Robinson, but trickled over the line anyway to make the score 1-1.

The United fans ecstatic and Crues weren't wasting any time now, but they had shot their bolt and a draw looked the likely outcome. In a frantic spell of Crues pressure Dwayne made a great save from Hately and McBride completed the clearance. Then as it so often happens in this game we all love so fiercely, with full-time approaching, United got a breakaway and clinched the points. There seemed little danger when Alan D got the ball about 25 yards from our own goal but he spotted Liggie down the right and he picked him out with a superb pass. Liggie was onto the ball in a flash, cut in to the edge of the box and unleashed a powerful right-foot shot which beat O'Neill all end up, needless to say the United fans were delirious, the Crues fans dejected.

I personally was especially pleased for Neil Hanley (ex-Sky Blue), had come on 2 mins earlier as a Crues sub and the dejected look on his face brought a smile to mine. The referee saw fit to add 4 mins of stoppage time, but it was party time for the Sky Blues faithful and we weren't going to be deflated by no last dash fightback from the Crues, who looked a beaten team. Finally the referee blew his whistle and we were on our feet applauding and singing the old songs and was all down to super-sub Liggie. He had only been on the pitch for the last 15 mins but what impact he had made, setting up one goal and scoring another, you can't ask for any better, bring on the Dungannon!

Dwayne (8), Kane (7), McBride (7), Taylor (8), McCullagh (7)(Sub: Archie 7,), Alan D (7), Jenks (6), Thommo (8), Ally (7), Cush (6)(Sub: Dolan 7), Lowry (6)(Sub: Liggie 8,)

Man of the match: Gary Thompson

Grey Gloom!

I apologise for using Sky Blue Sports two summer headlines for my headline, truth be told I think it paints a rightful picture of yesterday's result. There was speculation that Spike was favouring a 4,4,1,1, formation, but alas his team lined up in the familiar 4,3,3. 4,3,3 is alright as a formation but the three midfielders need to be able to perform all three basic skills that a midfielders need, namely attacking, defending and passing. I don't need to tell United fans that United's midfield three of Thompson, Jenks and Alan D don't have these three basic skills. Thompson is alright going forward, is a mediocre passing and hasn't a clue about tackling. Captain Jenks is alright going forward, couldn't pass water and is useless at tackling. Alan D is a brilliant attacker, about 80% of his passes are useless, the other 20% are incisive and he is useless in the tackle, not near the ideal we need.

That said the midfield wasn't solely responsible for yesterday's debacle, the defensive five, Dwayne and his back four had a nightmare. Guy Bates and Mark Farren had the freedom of the park against Taylor and Archie, especially Bates against Archie, that was a mismatch, Archie gave Bates all the space time he needed to score two goals. The third was a catalogue of errors involving a suicidal back-pass, a goalie that caught the ball and a forward who played everybody on-side. We hadn't long to wait for the first goal, precisely 7 minutes was on the clock when Bates was allowed to waltz through our defence from a long goal-kick and pick his spot with a low shot that looped off Taylor's foot and over Dwayne and found the back of the net.

We had our best spell after this but we frittered away chance after chance and they were clear-cut chances. Captain Jenks found himself in the clear and despite having ten yards on his marker he delayed and was fouled, but managed to stay on his feet and but couldn't find the target. In a period of intense pressure the visitors defence was tore open and Liggie committed a glaring miss at the far post. Alan D had a volley well saved by Coleman in the visitors goal and Liggie should have worked the keeper instead flashing his shot across goal and then we were rightly punished in a Glenavon breakaway. Glenavon won a throw-in opposite our penalty area and from McKeown's long throw-in the United defence allowed Bates a free header and he gratefully accepted the space afforded to him by our inept defenders and gave his team a 2-0 lead.

That goal came in the 26th minute and in a 8 minute spell the match was put beyond United's reach. Exactly 4 mins later somebody sent a suicidal back-pass and Dwayne under pressure from Bates, caught the ball and was punished by referee Crangle (where have we seen that before). The free kick was awarded on the edge of United box, but Crangle paced out 12 yards for the United defensive wall. United pulled everyone back for this free-kick but I think that this was their undoing, they had no outlet if they managed to clear the ball. The kick was charged down and the defenders streamed out leaving five Glenavon men in their six-yard box and there was Liggie playing them on-side when the ball came in again and Murphy was left with the simple task of finding the net. Then in 34 mins, Farren was allowed to turn and get his shot off and beat the hapless Dwayne and make the score 4-0, our management team were bereft of ideas and the United crowd looked shell-shocked.

2nd Half
Spike made a change at halftime, taking off Liggie and bring on Sparky, I personally thought this was negative move but Jenks was moved upfront where he was more useful and we got a lifeline immediately. From a long clearance by Dwayne, Neil Lowry, trapped the ball and swivelled and from 30 yards beat Coleman all ends up. Could we get back in the game I wondered, but Gary Thompson, despite finding himself in the clear, could only managed a weak left-foot shot, which Coleman easily gathered. Then in 65 minutes from a spell of United pressure, debut boy Stephen McBride found Thompson at the far post and he gave Coleman no chance with his shot this time and it was his left foot. United huffed and puffed but there was no urgency in our attacks and Neil Lowry epitomised this when he didn't chase down a defender, when admittedly it looked a lost cause, but we needed to chase down everything.

We needed fresh legs and an all-out attack but the manager dithered and then disaster struck, in a rare breakaway the United defence allowed Farren a shot from 18 yards and he duly obliged to score his team's fifth goal and two mins later it was six when Dwayne got a hand to a shot but it ballooned up and McGrory was allowed a free header which found the net. Spike had brought on Neil Gawley when Glenavon scored their fifth goal, but he took off Lowry and not Alan D, who was a virtual passenger in the 2nd half. Next he took off Thompson and brought on Ruddy and then we conceded our sixth goal, talk about uninspiring substitutions, you could write a book on this match alone. Gawley's first piece of action involved him taking a long throw-in, but the United attackers were having none of that and they let Coleman in the visitors goal have a free-hand. United did grab a consolation goal when Taylor got on the end of Ally corner to score United's third goal in the 88 mins, but it was too little too late, United had been comprehensively beaten by 6-3, it was a grey, gloomy day, feck, feck, feck!

Dwayne (5), Kane (5), McBride (5), Taylor (6), Archie (4), Thompson (6)(Sub: Ruddy 5,), Jenks (5), Alan D (5), Lowry (7)(Sub: Gawley 6,), Liggie (6)(Sub: Sparky 5,), Ally (6)

Man of the match: Neil Lowry