Below Par(r)!

The Sky Blues turned in another abysmal performance to get the Sky Blue Sport's crew winter break off to a damp start. We were hoping against hope that United had took on the lessons learned from last season, that they should treat every game the same, but they flopped and allowed newcomers Warrenpoint Town to celebrate their first victory in the Premier league. The result is all the more galling when I consider the number of chances we frittered away in the first half. That's six points we have dropped against the newly promoted teams and now there are even closer to us in the Dankse Premier table. Not even a juicy semi-final against the Crues at Seaview, which ex-scum player, John Devine picked out of the hat for us, could lighten the hearts of Sky Blue fans, we are sick to the teeth of paying good money and witnessing mediocre performances, the players, if they have any sense of decency, should forego their match fee in the wake of this dire performance.

Of course if they did, the shock would be too much for United fans to endure, they've been tried and tried and tried again and it would be true to say we have only handful of players, playing for the shirt. We could've have got away with a scoreless draw today, except for a 'clanger' from Tony Kane, when with plenty time to clear the ball into touch, if he could not get it into safety, he merely set the visitors up and they carved through our defence like a white and red tornado. Spike made two changes in his defence from Tuesday night, out went Cookie and Steely and in came Johnny and Ruddy. Thommo came into midfield therefore releasing Cush to be upfront with Liggie and Ally and MM dropped down to the bench. With barely 5 mins gone Marky was 'taken to the cleaners' by Daniel Hughes and Marky was indebted to Dwayne for sparing his blushes as he rushed from his goal and shepherded the player wide, a let-off for us. Ten minutes later Cush received an angled ball from Ruddy and turned his marker, but his drive was easily stopped by Point keeper Parr.

Five mins later Parr stopped a shot at point-blank range from Ally, following a knock-down from Jenks, a good save, but Ally should have given him no chance. We continued to fritter away the chances in the first half, Liggie driving an effort wide and another across the face of goal, but no-one could get the vital touch. With halftime approaching I was getting worried and I thought to my self 'they bound to get one chance and it'll be curtains for us', but though they weren't out of the match, they never troubled us unduly. Alan Jenks made a mess of a good chance created by Ally on the left, by jumping too early and Cush failed to his head to a cross from Kane. Then on the stroke of halftime, Johnny Taylor rose unmarked to an Ally corner and headed wide with the goal at his mercy. I didn't see the 4th official holding up his board with halftime approaching but when we get this giant scoreboard that is in the pipeline, we should know all the ins and outs of the match, that's assuming that they'll be a match, the way this team's playing, I very much doubt it.

2nd half
We didn't make any changes at halftime and for the 4th match in succession we were out before the opposition, the Point on the hand did make a substitution, Stephen Hughes for Grant and what a substitution this turned out to be. He had hardly been on the field 5 mins (4 mins exactly), when he got on the end of a McCabe cross after Tony Kane had made a hash out of a simple clearance and presented the ball to the opposition and we paid the ultimate penalty for this act of benevolence. I thought Fergie will spring into action now and get some fresh faces on and change the system, but like the 'Iron Lady', Fergie's not for turning. He finally made changes in the 65 mins, replacing Liggie and Ally with Dolan and MM, but he didn't change the system. Cush seemed to be struggling for he was not at his ebullient self and I thought as Alan D was making ready, he was coming off, but it was Thommo who made way for Alan D. Cush proved to me he was not at his best, when he found himself alone in the penalty area and passed, definitely not the Cush way. Johnny missed anther chance when he shot weekly at Parr'

As befits role of reporter, the man I consider to be the worst player on the pitch, United Captain Alan Jenkins almost became our saviour, when he found Mario unmarked in the six-yard box, but the big Dubliner with the goal at his mercy somehow headed against a Point defender and the chance was lost. The referee brought the match to a close and we were left to reflect on a topic that's been the subject of a few results that have gone in our favour, the taking of chances. We took our chances in the matches against Crues and Ports and they missed theirs, now it seems it is our turn and we need to do something about it sooner, rather than later. we have the first of a double header when we travel to Ballinmallard to take on the ducks next Friday night, without I might add the Sky Blue crew, who will be in sunny Spain getting some R & R to tide us thought the months ahead, but we'll be there in spirit and raise a dram or two when United chalk up a victory (hopefully), come on Sky Blues, get your fingers out!

Dwayne (7), Kane (5), Ruddy (6), Marky (5), Johnny (6), Archie (6), Jenks (5), Thommo (6)(Sub: Alan D 6,), Cush (6), Liggie (6)(Sub: Dolan 5,), Ally (6)(Sub: MM 6,)

Man of the match: Dwayne

Just Enough!

In the first two knock-out matches this season, United have been less than impressive, winning on penalties against Ballymoney United in the league cup and last night in narrowly defeating DC in their first match in our defence of the County Antrim Shield. Is that going to be the way we approach any knock-out matches, just doing enough to win, if you ask me I think that's a recipe for disaster and we'll be found out soon by a team capable of taking their chances. DC had chances last night, but couldn't take any of them, we had more chances, clear-cut chances, but only took one. Our manager Spike resisted the temptation to make wholesale changes to his starting line-up, only resting Thommo, Johnny, Liggie and the injured Ruddy. Taking their place was, Dolan, Captain Jenks, Cookie Munster and Steely McBride. Only four changes from our starting eleven last Saturday and all them vastly experienced, I honestly thought they'd be too much for DC, but I was miles from the truth.

We were slow and lethargic, our passing was a disgrace, talk about misplaced and about 8 players in our line-up were virtual passengers. Only three that I could have said played like anything near their potential, were the reliable Dwayne, Marky and Cookie, but they got no backing from the rest of the team. Archie was having a nightmare and he couldn't pass water as the saying goes and as for Captain Jenks, Conor Downey had him for breakfast. Ally had a stinker but only Jenks knows how he missed a sitter, from Ally's driven cross, but I thought Ally should've shot himself. Dolan up front was the target man, but he was beaten in the air 90% of the time and MM showed he hasn't got much to offer either. The Cush was not at his best and seems to be struggling in his new midfield role and getting involved in things he has no need to get involved in. Tony Kane, has been turning in great performances this season, but he was a passenger last night and tried to do too much instead of clearing the ball.

Much was said in the forums when Spike signed the Crues reserve leftback, Stephen McBride, on a pre-contract nearing the end of last season. The Sky Blue Sport's crew were sceptical about this signing, our argument was, 'if he can't displace, former United player Craig McClean, he's not for us', on last night showing, our fears were vindicated. He has a bad habit of cutting inside and teams soon get wise to this and as result he loses possession quite a lot of the time and in dangerous positions and expects somebody else to clear his mess. Once last night when we under a spell of pressure, he had a chance to clear the ball and find touch near the halfway line, but he chose to play the ball back to Cookie and he managed to get the ball out for a throw-in, but a throw-in near our goal-line, therefore putting us under pressure that we could of done rightly without. I was always coached to get the ball clear if you could and find touch near the halfway line, instead of playing the team into trouble.

Just when Archie had made another horlicks of a pass and I was shouting to Spike to get him off (I was nervously looking for Alfie over my shoulder as well), he picked up the ball and delivered it to the far post where Cush scored with a header off the underside of the crossbar. Surely we would go on then and score 3 or 4 goals I thought, but nothing could be further from the truth, we retreated back into our shells and invited DC to come at us. I was truly glad we were playing DC, for despite carving out several chances, Dwayne was only called on once in the first half to make a save. Our goal had come in the 36th minute and Cush was tripped as he tried to move into the box moments later, but referee Ross Dunlop didn't give the foul. There was another incident earlier when the ball had gone out for a corner, when MM on the ground had his head jerked, but the ref merely talked to both players, I allowed that it was MM's fault for letting his head be there in the first place. When the halftime whistle sounded I thought Fergie will tear strips off the players and bring on two subs at least, but I was so wrong, for he didn't do anything to change the way we were playing.

2nd half
During halftime the subs were going about their gyrations and and Alan D tried about 4 shots at an open goal, but didn't find the target once, worrying or what. United took the field with the same eleven players and DC were starting to believe they had a chance but United spurned a good chance to put the match beyond them when MM found himself in space but his cross shot didn't trouble the DC keeper. Cush was replaced by Alan D with 60 mins gone, but it was still DC who looked the more livelier and Dwayne was forced to make a save from a Downey shot. The United defence didn't learn from this lapse and from a corner Devine's diving header just missed the target with United's defence nowhere to be seen. Liggie replaced MM on 72 mins and Cookie got injured shortly after and had to come off with Gavin taking his place and Archie moving to central defence. DC continued to press and Dwayne make a good save at the expense of a corner from Warwick's shot.

Ally missed a sitter and was later booked when he needlessly kicked the ball away after he had been blown up for offside, McGurk in the DC goal make a couple of good stops from Liggie, the first when he had been released by Captain Jenks and the second a point-blank effort from an Ally cross, a magnificent stop. Liggie could have turned provider when he broke through but failed to find Alan D who was unmarked, another chance gone begging. When Conor Downey was subbed with 6 mins to, go the home crowd was generous in their applause for the ex-player but when the final whistle sounded they were not so generous in their applause to the home team and rightly so in my book. On the plus side we had negotiated the 'banana skin', although we were unconvincing, but thanks to our goalkeeper we had kept another clean sheet, two in a row, but sterner tests are on the horizon and I think we need to up our game if we are to progress much farther in this competition never mind the league cup in a fortnight's time, but what do I know!

Dwayne (8), Tony (5), Steely (5), Marky (7), Cookie (7)(Sub: Gavin 6,), Cush (7)(Sub: Alan D 6,), Archie (6), Jenks (5), MM (5)(Sub: Liggie (6), Mario (5), Ally (5)

Man of the match: Dwayne (again)!

Clean Sheet!

For the first time this season United managed to stop the other team scoring, unfortunately they didn't score themselves, but its a start. United manager, Spike, made three changes to his starting line-up of last Saturday, axing Alan D and Gavin and due to suspension Captain Jenks. The players coming in were Liggie, Cush and Archie and Archie assumed the Captains armband. We maybe missed Captain Jenks driving force when we could have got something from the match, but I think the players acquitted themselves admirably. Cush, playing in an unfamiliar role in the middle, took time to settle, but had a good game. As I was going into the ground, early as usual, Lee Docherty was putting Steely McBride through his paces, sprinting and turning and Mike Ruddy must have seen this also, because I reckon he had his best game in a Sky Blue jersey and in this form, Steely will have a job getting back in.

Referee Burns had a fairly good game, but there must be something that says, 'pull Ballymena players for going over the top of players, while letting the opposition get away with it and book them at the slightest foul and chastise the opposition for the same fouls or ignore them completely'. Thommo was the first United player to fall foul of this new rule, where if you're playing for United, you can't go over the player in front of you to win the ball and he won it fairly and squarely but the ref gave a foul. Ten mins later a Glens player did the same thing on United's Liggie, but the ref let it go. As I said earlier, Ruddy had a good game and he almost gave United the lead when he challenged in Glens penalty area but he couldn't control the ball. At the other end, the much travelled David Scullion, nearly gave Glens the lead when he curled a shot from 25 yards that had a goal written all over it, only for Dwayne to make a magnificent save at the expense of a corner.

Then it was United's turn, when Liggie got on the end of Tony's cross, but headed over the bar a chance lost. MM was playing wide on the right, but I personally think he's wasted out there, but we're trying to play 4,3,3 and somebody has to play on the right and MM drew the short straw. But he provided us with a great cross and he found Liggie at the back post and from his knock-down header, Ally headed weakly into Morris's arms from 5 yards, a horrendous miss. Cush committed a foul in the 35 mins and the ref couldn't get the yellow card out quick enough, but in fairness to him the histrionics of the Glens player, may have led him to believe the foul was worse than it was. In the second half a Glens player almost took Tony's head off, but the ref gave the foul but no card. We survived a few scares from Glens corners and Dwayne rode his luck when trying to catch the ball instead of punching it, but the ref allowed he was fouled and we survived to halftime without further incident.

2nd half
The referee started the 2nd half by booking Ruddy for a late tackle and later on chastising a Glens player for late tackling Ruddy, I honestly saw no difference in the two tackles, but Ruddy didn't roll about and pretend he was a hospital case. Ally missed a great chance to give us the lead, when he found space on the left and cut inside, but his right-foot shot although beating Morris in the Glens goal just missed the target. Little was seen at this stage from the Glens attack of Miskimmon and the much travelled and former United player Aaron Boyd, as they were well marshalled by Johnny and Marky. Liggie got some space in the middle and tried a shot from 30 yards but just was too high and then MM brought the best out of Morris with a rasping shot from 25 yards which Morris managed to parry. That was nearly MM's last contribution to the match as he was replaced by Lowry, but Neal flattered to deceive, not like last week at Windsor where he looked good.

We had bizarre incident when a Glens player came in with his foot raised and a skirmish developed in midfield, but the ref merely gave a foul against United, obviously coming in with foot raised is allowed now, another new rule, or am I being paranoid now? Tony Kane went on a run from deep inside his own half and tested Morris with a dipping shot, but the keeper tipped it over the bar. With 15 mins remaining Cush was replaced with Alan D and he was barley on the field, when he found himself inside the Glens box and with a route to goal, but unfortunately he miskicked and the chance was lost, a diabolical miss in my book. Liggie was replaced with 11 mins remaining with Mario, but he made little difference as far as I could see. The Glens almost snatched it right at the end, wholly undeserved I might add, but football is a game about taking chances and they got a good one near the end. Scullion tested Dwayne with a shot but he parried it and Boyd tried to force the follow-up over the goal-line but Johnny Taylor wrapped his thighs around the ball and Dwayne recovered and grabbed the ball and the ref waved play on.

I remember a match two seasons ago at the Showgrounds against Linfield, where we were punished by such an incident involving Archie, the ref at that time astounded us by giving an indirect free-kick to Linfield (I always though that it was bounce ball) and they duly scored, but in this instance referee Burns saw nothing wrong in Johnny holding the ball in between his thighs and allowing Dwayne to recover and come and claim the ball, a let-off to be sure. Despite 3 mins of added time there were no more incidents of note and United had avoided defeat at the Oval again, but we have to find a way to score goals, while keeping the opposition at bay. Next up for United is a match with DC at the Showgrounds on Tuesday when we start our defence of the County Antrim Shield, hopefully Glen and his backroom staff will have learned from their mistake in the league cup against Ballymoney United and not make wholesale changes for this game, for the only thing that matters, is the result!

Dwayne (8), Tony (8), Ruddy (8), Johnny (8), Marky (8), Cush (7)(Sub: Alan D 6,), Archie (7), Thommo (7), Liggie (7)(Sub: Mario 6,), MM (7)(Sub: Lowry 6,), Ally (7)

Man of the match: Dwayne

Monkey Business!

The Sky Blues were hoping to get another 'monkey' off their back when they travelled to Windsor Park yesterday to take on IFA/Linfield. But they suffered at the hands of IFA/Linfield some 'monkey business' and it made their quest nearly impossible. We are well used to being outnumbered at Windsor, normally the IFA/Linfield have 14 men, eleven on the pitch and the three officials, but that wasn't enough yesterday, for referee Hugh Carvill sent off United Alan Jenks for 'dissent'. Since the inception of yellow and red cards, I have never seen anybody sent off for dissent, it usually is two yellows, one for committing one offence, foul or dissent and followed by a second, for a second offence, but Carvill gave Alan a straight red and we were down to 10 men against 14 men, nigh impossible odds, but even then we should've got something from the match, but we frittered away really good chances.

Spike made two changes to his line-up, Gavin Taggart came in for the suspended Archie and Alan D for the injured Neal Gawley and they were both a disaster. The Belfast men took the lead in the 10 mins when they mesmerised United with good inter-passing, but Gavin Taggart, failed to track Mulgrew of Linfield, when he exchanged passes with McAllister and from Mulgrew's inch perfect pass Waterworth had the easy task of heading into the net. Nine minutes later it was Alan D's turn when he had the chance of clearing the ball, his misplaced pass fell to Linfield and then we were on the back foot and despite looking offside Waterworth was left with the simple task of of tapping the ball into the net. Sammy Patterson had invited us all in the car to make a wager of when Gavin picked up his first caution and he almost got his guess spot-on, he said 'half an hour', officially its recorded as 31 mins.

It looked like 'dissent' as the referee seemed to warn him and then Gavin said something and was promptly booked. Contrast this to some of tackles Linfield got away and deliberate handballs, but handballs it seems are not an offence as long they're committed by Linfield. We even had a home player get up after he had been tackled and grab a United players shirt, an automatic booking or even a red card, but referee Carvill took no action. With 8 minutes to go in the first half, Gavin committed another foul and Fergie took him off and Neal Lowry came on to play on the right and Thommo, who was like a fish out of water on the right, returned to the middle of the park, where he is more at home. Little was seen of United in attack, they were too deep but Ally had a chance to embarrass the Linfield keeper, but he delayed his shot and the chance was lost. Dwayne was having a match he'll want to forget and he seemed slow to come off his line despite the prompting of his defenders, anyway we survived to halftime but it was obvious changes would have to be made.

2nd half
Alan D was subbed at halftime, with Liggie taking his place and we a version of 4,4,2 instead of Fergie's preferred 4,3,3 and we only had to wait 6 mins for this formation to bear fruit. There's been much criticism directed at Neal Lowry but in this case he delivered when he took the ball down the right wing and crossed and MM headed it on for Liggie to blast it into the net. Referee Carvill reluctantly gave the goal but he must have made a mental note to punish United for this offence, 'how dare they score a goal in his beloved Windsor Park', they would have to pay for this indiscretion. The Linfield players were shirking out of tackles and Carvill punished United players for fair tackles, but that wasn't enough for him. Gary Thompson committed a clumsy foul just inside the Linfield half and was booked by Carvill, unsurprisingly and then from the long free kick, Waterworth chased a ball that he had little hope of getting and Dwayne committed himself to trying to get the ball and the two players collided. We were treated to a master-class in diving technique, as Waterworth done a great swallow dive, but to my astonishment ref Carvill pointed to the spot, despite United's protests and the linesman insistence that it was no penalty, but Carvill was in no mood to listen.

When Waterworth, who had looked like a stretcher case, miraclessly got up, he duly dispatched the penalty, Dwayne diving the wrong way and United were down 3-1, just when we had got ourselves into the match I thought, it couldn't get any worse, but I was so terribly wrong, it did get a whole lot worse. United Captain Jenks sought an explanation from referee Carvill why he ignored the linesman saying no penalty and to the astonishment of him and everybody, was promptly shown the red card. The only explanation I can think of, he must have called the referee's parentage into doubt, or Carvill can't understand the Scottish dialect or a combination of them both, but any way he was off. Three minutes later Johnny Taylor became the 3rd United player to be booked, his fifth booking this season and 3 mins later Spike took off MM and brought on Cush to add some bite to his midfield. Oh how we have missed Cush, our talisman, since he had to go off in our 2nd match this season and he was only on the field 5 mins when he set Liggie off on a run down the right.

Liggie held the ball up to let his team-mates get up in support and Tony Kane made a lot of ground and only just missed with a flying header to Liggie's cross, a chance gone begging. Then it was the Cush's turn when he burst into the Linfield box and with the goal at his mercy he screwed his shot wide. I can only imagine the ball must have bobbled on the unlevel playing surface that is our national stadium, for it is so un-Cush-like (I've just invented a new word for the English language), to miss the target completely. United had two claims for handball turned down and ref Carvill added insult to injury and gave the home team a foul when Liggie done nothing but made the player look like a mug, but the ref is boss and any question of his decisions usually end with a red card, so the United players didn't protest. Referee Carvill finally booked a Linfield player, Burns, for going in late on Taylor as he attempted to clear the ball, but it was too little too late, but just for good measure he booked Ruddy of United 3 minutes later for a foul that can best described as clumsy, 'tit for tat' you could say, but not if you're a player.

Ruddy, who had a good game otherwise blotted his copybook in the dying minutes off this game (90 + 1), when he failed to track McCaul, who had come on as a sub and he passed to fellow sub Brown and he bundled the ball into the net at the second attempt, to make the score 4-1. The referee blew his whistle to booing from the United fans and they laid this defeat squarely at the door of the referee, sure he contributed to it, but I think Spike and the three baldies have to bear some of the blame, for persisting with Alan D and playing Gavin who doesn't seem to have the nous to follow orders and keep his mouth shut and it was foolhardy in the extreme to start with only one man upfront and leave the Linfield midfield to control the match, which they duly did in the first half. It was different in the 2nd half, until that controversial penalty and sending-off, but it will be interesting to see what comes out if anything when Spike decides to speak, but in fact nothing will be changed as result and Spike has decisions to make this week before our next match, away to the Glens!

Dwayne (6), Kane (6), Ruddy (6), Taylor (7), Marky (6), Alan D(5)(Sub: Liggie 7,), Gavin (5)(Sub: Lowry 7,), Jenks (6), Thommo (6), MM (7),(Sub: Cush (7), Ally (6)

Man of the match: Johnny Taylor

Sods Law!

When United beat the Crues at Seaview on Saturday August 17, I reasoned that we took our chances and the Crues missed theirs, how my words came back to haunt me yesterday when we missed three 'gilt edged' chances ourselves, but it was Sods law. That's not to make any excuses for the 'misses' for they were 'sitters' believe me and we lost 3 points because of them for I have a feeling if we had converted one of them, then we would have gone on to win the game. But referee Richard 'dick Head' Crangle was at his most biased and how he missed the incident where Devlin in the Reds grabbed the ball twice when under pressure by United's Liggie, beggars belief, well I think he didn't want to see it. Just as he ignored Devlin's blatant time-wasting and didn't even add on any time at the end of ninety minutes. But by far and away the most biased of his decisions concerned the dishing out of yellow cards.

Barely 5 minutes was gone when Ruddy was clearing the ball and Liam Boyce, cleaned him, but Crangle merely had a word in his ear instead of the yellow card. Contrast this to when United's Johnny Taylor, got the ball and Boyce rolled about like he had broken his leg and Crangle had the yellow card out right away. In all he booked 3 United men Archie and Jenks as well as Johnny and a second booking for Archie meant he got sent off with 13 minutes left and no Reds players booked, even though they fouled at will. I don't have the stats but I would be surprised if the Reds hadn't committed more fouls than us and Dick Head let them away with it. United took the field with the same 11 that finished Tuesday nights game against Portadown and should have taken the lead in the first minute when Captain Jenks was found by a Tony Kane cross and with an open goal he fluffed his shot.

United paid dearly for this act of benevolence by our Captain which if he had scored would given the match a much needed boost and we conceded a 'soft' goal 2 mins later. We were actually on the attack ourselves and when Ally and Ruddy combined down the left, Ruddy had a chance to cross himself but he decided to pass to Ally who was flagged for offside, I'd like to see an action replay of that incident. Chickenville's keeper Devlin took a long kick and Liam Boyce sucked Johnny Taylor in and he missed his header and Marky let Gormely past and Dwayne rushed from his goal only to be lobbed and the Reds were 1-0 up. Questions need to asked of the Ballymena defence of how come there was no cover and the central defenders were left two on two. Where was the Captain and Archie, two men who should have been covering, they were nowhere to be seen or did we not know the Reds use these long kicks as an attacking ploy, surely we had them watched but it seems we didn't learn anything.

United to their credit didn't lie down and MM showed his intent when he tried a snapshot from 25 yards that had Devlin diving to his right but it just missed the target. United had another let-off when Gormley missed with a free header following a corner and Dwayne saved well from Curran when the United defence went asleep once again. Then MM tried his luck from 35 yards, when he spotted Devlin off his line but he missed the target. Someone said he was trying to be a Cush, but I reasoned he was ploughing a lone furrow up front and he may as well try his luck. United were playing good football, but it was in the middle third of the pitch and the Reds defence dealt capably with anything that came there way. Then we were treated to the 'play acting' of Boyce when he got Johnny booked and a number of Reds players followed suit but Crangle took no notice of this simulation, he had his own agenda. Halftime was reached with no further incidents and I imagined that Glenn and his coaches would be impressing on the players the need to be cautious in light of the bias that the ref was showing, obviously it fell on deaf ears.

2nd half
United made one change at halftime, Gawley going off to be replaced with Liggie, if this was a tactical move it was bad move but it was positive one, if on the other hand Gawley was injured maybe the substitution had to be made, but I personally thought young Peter Duffin would of been a better ploy. When Liggie came on, MM moved to the wing and we lost his tenacity and I think he was quiet after that. Gormley missed what seemed a simple tap-in at the far post and I breathed a sigh of relief. In a period of tasty tackles from both sides Archie was booked but in truth his tackle was no worse than any of them from both sides, but Crangle being Crangle had to make an example. Spike sprung a surprise taking off MM and bringing on Alan D and I for one couldn't understand this substitution, I thought personally that this was a 'negative' move. Better bring on Duffin and have him go at the creaking Reds defence and they were showing signs of creaking, instead of a man who's struggling for form, but what do I know.

Alan D gave us nothing in my opinion and he gave the ball away a few times and he's really struggling to fit into the Fergie formation, because, try as he might, he just doesn't have a clue about tackling. United spurned a great chance to get back on level terms when Ally beat the offside and with the goal at his mercy shot wide a horrendous miss, he could have passed to Liggie if he was unsure, but he missed a sitter, from hero to zero. Archie picked up his second yellow card and I thought it was harsh in the extreme, but then I'm sure he was warned at halftime to be on his guard, but he boobed and was sent off. I thought I saw Crangle smile, but maybe it was just a trick of the light. I thought we would be under the cosh with 10 men, but we continued to probe the Reds defence and Thommo shrugged off the attentions of a Reds defender and delivered an inch perfect cross and Liggie somehow headed it over the bar, another dreadful miss.

With five minutes remaining, Spike took off Ruddy and brought Duffin on but it was too little too late in my humble opinion. United continued to press for an equaliser and Dwayne threatened to come up for a corner but was waved back by Spike, he would have made the extra man. As it was the corner came to nothing but Liggie followed in and kept the keeper honest but as he went to clear it he released the ball and picked up again and you're not allowed to have the ball in your hands twice, but Crangle and the linesman ignored that offence, blatant cheating in my eyes, but I expected nothing more. Crangle added insult to injury by ignoring the blatant time-wasting of the Reds keeper and the Reds players by only adding on the stipulated 3 mins as there had been 5 subs in the 2nd half and one at halftime, but in truth I half expected it, but I also thought he's not to be so barefaced in his bias, but he was and is, a cheat. But this defeat lies squarely in the hands of the United management and the three players who missed absolute sitters!

Dwayne (8), Kane (7), Ruddy (7)(Sub: Duffin 6,), Marky (6), Johnny (7), Thommo (6), Archie (6), Jenks (5), Gawley (7)(Sub: Liggie 5,) MM (7)(Sub: Alan D 5,) Ally (5)

Man of the match: Dwayne

Debut Goal!

Mike McClellan repaid the faith shown in him by United manager Glenn Ferguson, who only signed him at the eleventh hour on the transfer deadline, by setting the Sky Blues on a wholly unexpected victory over the previously unbeaten Ports last night, with his debut goal and he had only just came on as a sub. When United's 'man of the match', Ally Teggart, delivered his pinpoint corner from the right, there was Mike unmarked and he headed it into the net to set the Showgrounds crowd alight. That was spark needed to set United going and they continued to press forward and got the winner in a fortuitous circumstances it has to be said, but Mike and Ally were involved yet again and brought the whole Showgrounds crowd to their feet in rapturous applause.

Our manager had to re-jig his team due to a groin injury to Mario Dolan and he chose to start with no recognised striker and out went Steely McBride, I don't know whether he was dropped or injured and in came Archie to play leftback and Mike Ruddy to play midfield allowing Captain Jenks to take up a striking role. When I saw the team on twitter I was to say the least disappointed, it looked like we had no striking options and the manager was trying to hold on to get a result, but maybe he was trying to bluff everybody, including me and it worked to a T. Little was seen in that first half of United in attack, we tended to try one pass too many and for the most part we couldn't get out of our own end, the Fisherwick end, where we were defending like crazy and we rode our luck.

Fifteen minutes were gone when we had our first slice of luck, but in saying that maybe I'm doing our keeper Dwayne a disservice, maybe he got his angles right when his defenders were left for dead by Ports striker Kevin Braniff and his shot from the edge of box cannoned off the inside of the post, a real let-off. United didn't learn from this near calamity, when the same player wriggled loose only to see his shot parried by Dwayne, Gary Twigg (the Portadown groundsman), could only head against the bar but Murray was on hand to tap home the rebound, I felt sorry for Dwayne he had been let down by his defenders. They didn't learn from this benevolence and truth to say we could've let in more as the visitors were almost completely in control and should have added to their tally.

United made a subtle change in their formation with Archie and Ruddy swapping positions and we started getting a lot more possession and Ruddy started to fulfil the promise he had shown at the start of last season, prior to a bad injury he sustained against the Crues which ruled out for 3 months. Alan D was a virtual passenger in our midfield and the fans were calling on Glenn to replace him, but to no avail. I must mention the officials here, referee Carvill saw fit to book Johnny Taylor and Tony Kane for fouls, not bad fouls and let Ports players away with the same offences time and time again. The linesman at the Fisherwick end was useless or biased, I can't make up my mind which, only once did he raise his flag in the first half for an offside against Portadown and they were at least two or three incidents when they were players offside.

Then in the second half he 'never' gave United the benefit of the doubt on throw-ins they all went Ports way and he missed or ignored an elbow on Ruddy in the first half and flagged Ally offside when he wasn't up with play in the 2nd half. Ally was offside I have to agree but he couldn't be sure but he flagged anyway and in injury time he ruled that Neal Gawley had fouled a Ports player, when Neal was fouled himself. I was thinking idly that we were playing the IFA/Linfield at Windsor Park, that is where in the Irish league you don't get a decision, the benefit of doubt always favours the home team, but in this case it was the away team. Archie had been in the wars a few times, head injuries from Ports elbows completely ignored by the referee and we got a lengthy stoppage when Jenks and a Ports player had to receive treatment, so it was no surprise we had 3 minutes of added time in the first half, but thankfully we survived.

2nd half
Mike McClellan came on as sub for Alan D and what a transformation he wrought in United's play, not only in his own contribution that was immense but he seemed to lift the players also. Jenks was able to fall back to midfield where he was supported by Archie and Thommo and they started to win tackles. The Ports defenders including Chris Ramsay, who was a former United player in Roy Walker's time looked less than secure when McClellan was running at them. Mike won a corner in the 52nd minute and Ally delivered it left-footed into the six-yard box where Mike was on hand to score with a header. That goal brought the Showgrounds to life and they urged their team to go out and get the clincher, which they did, eventually.

The Ports weren't finished by any means and Murray missed another free header and Braniff screwed his shot wide with the goal at his mercy and in a goalmouth scramble United just managed to get the ball away. At the other end we had a scramble in the Ports goalmouth and the ball was kicked off the line. Ruddy was having a superb game and linking up with Ally too and was great to see, but Ports players got away with some tackles that to say the least were dubious, no bookings. From one of these free-kicks, which should have merited a booking, Miskelly in the Ports goal managed turn a Tony Kane shot around the post. The Ports took off Murray with 15 mins remaining and McStay took his place, whether this was a holding sub or a attacking one I couldn't say, but anyway it didn't work. McClellan then had a shot from distance but Miskelly was equal to it, was this our last chance I mused.

The match looked like petering out for a draw when with just 3 mins left, when M M (I've decided to call McClellan, M M), chased a long ball which seemed to be the keepers all the way. Miskelly seemed to mistime his dive and M M and he fell in a heap, I fully expected referee Carvill to give the Ports keeper the benefit of the doubt, but he pointed to the spot, but why didn't he at least book the culprit I'll never know. Up stepped Ally and he duly struck the penalty into the corner of the net and sent the United faithful and me included, delirious. The referee only added one minute of stoppage time, for they had only been one sub, we brought M M on at the start of the 2nd half and the ref got that right. Dwayne was a calming influence in the closing minutes and despite the linesman ruling against Neal Gawley we deservedly held out to record a victory, but it was so, so close!

Dwayne (8), Tony (7), Archie (8), Marky (6), Johnny (6), Thommo (7), Alan D (5)(Sub: M M 8,), Ruddy (8), Gawley (7), Jenks (7), Ally (8)

Man of the match: Ally Teggart