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