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