Team United!

This latest victory over Dungannon Swifts, whom we've beaten in all three games this season so far, was down to one thing, belief. When we went one down to a sloppy free-kick, the 'wall' didn't do its job, our team didn't let their heads drop, but clawed their way back into the game and finally got the job done. It was fitting that a member of that 'two man wall', Jimer, got the equaliser, his first goal in a Sky Blue jersey, on his full debut. Our manager Spike, made three changes from his starting line-up against H & W Welders on Saturday past. Gavin, as expected wasn't fit and Jimer came in at rightback and Tony moved to midfield, Sparky dropped down to the bench, allowing Darboy to make his full debut up front and Frenchy got the nod in goals, instead of Shan.

The Swifts came out the blocks flying and subjected us to a constant onslaught and their chief architect was former United player Gary Ligget. Sammy Patterson later remarked, if Liggie had played three games like that for United, he could have cemented himself in the team. Cookie Munster was struggling with Liggie's pace and was adjudged by ref Heth, to have pulled him down on the edge of box, I thought in my unbiased opinion, that Liggie fouled Cookie first, but Cookie definitely fouled Liggie and was lucky to escape a booking. But Heth, who refereed the previous game between the two sides at Stangmore, merely warned big Cookie. The incident took place over on the left about 15 yards short of the goal-line and 2 yards short of the penalty box.

Frenchy, lined up his two-man wall, of Ally and Jimer and Tomelty of the home side drove his free-kick straight at the wall, which parted like the 'red sea' and the ball found the right corner of the net past the unsighted Frenchy, to give the Swifts a deserved lead. You can almost hear every word at Stangmore (and the paltry crowd contributed to this effect) and our manager Spike laid the blame for this goal fairly and squarely on his Captain Jenks and Jenks was not best pleased and protesting his innocence but I think Fergie's point was he, Jenks, should have ensured the wall stood its ground, no doubt he'll warn them in future. The Swifts continued to pile on the pressure and its true to say that United were hanging on at this stage, but despite getting a few free headers at corner-kicks, Frenchy in the United goals wasn't unduly troubled.

The Swifts defence was working the offside trap and I think this led partly to their undoing, when United's talisman, Cush started to dribble instead of passing. There was a session of blocked shots from Cush, Ally and Darboy, but the home team survived this onslaught. Ally was caught offside in a good move but United weren't to be denied for long and in 20 mins Cush went on another dribble, cut in from the left and found Jimer in the six-yard box and he turned and found the net to tie the scores at 1-1. Now United had their tails up and started to exert their authority on the match and were rewarded by a 2nd goal when our Captain Jenks got on the end of another Cush left-wing cross, to find the net in 38 mins. Now that they had got their noses in front, I was wondering if they could go on and win the game and said as much to  a fellow supporter at half-time, but I knew in my heart it was going to tough.

2nd half
The Swifts came out with renewed purpose and were rewarded by a goal from Liggie, when he got his head to a corner by Tomelty and found the net via the underside of the bar, to tie the scores at 2-2. Despite the home team piling on the pressure, they never looked dangerous after that and the United defence came into its own from then on. JT, who had been wasteful early on, started to mop things up at the back and this allowed Archie and Jimer to overlap and as a result, we came into the game more. Heth, who had a  good game, finally had to book a home player when he pulled down Ally as he was threatening to break for goal, a professional foul if I ever saw one.

With 20 mins left United fashioned a goal and it was fitting that Cush should have been involved in it, when he found Darboy on the right edge of the Swifts box. The former Swifts on-loan player took a touch and then bent a left-foot shot past Buchanan in the home goal, a brilliant finsih and his second goal in two matches or a match and a half to be precise and give United the lead , 3-2 in the process. Four mins later Thommo went off to be replaced by Alan D of all people when we were crying out for a ball winner, but Alan D seems to a favourite of our manager Spike. No doubt he's a skilful player, but he's a player struggling for form and he's a more of an hindrance than a help in my opinion.

 He flattered to deceive as usual but it was the reliable Cush who missed a glorious chance to seal the points, when in spite of turning his marker, he didn't trouble Buchanan from 15 yards with the goal at his mercy, putting his right-foot shot over the bar. United made their second sub when Marky (McCullagh), returned from a month on the sidelines to replace big Cookie, no doubt to get a match in, with JT facing a two match suspension having run up ten bookings, Marky is the obvious choice to replace him. With the match deep in added time, 4 mins, Cush tried to run off the clock, a thing that I hate and committed a foul on a Swifts player and got himself a silly booking placing the ball back where the foul took place, which leaves him facing a one match suspension when the disciplinary committee of the IFA meets.

With the refs whistle about to be blown, a Swifts player ran at the United defence, only to be stopped with a foul by Captain Jenks, which was his fifth yellow card too and leaves him at the mercy of the IFA, the same as Cush. United survived the free-kick and the ref blew his whistle to end the game and United had picked up another three points to consolidate their sixth place in the Dankse Bank Premiership on 37 points and safe from automatic relegation. They'll be harder games to come, when we are due to play the the top 5 teams starting with the IFA (Linfield), at home this Saturday in our next 7 games before the split, but if we are a united, United, I believe we can pull if off and then anything is possible, we are after all only 5 points off 4th place, bring it on!

Frenchy (7), Jimer (8), Archie (7), Cookie (7) (Sub: Marky 7,), JT (7), Thommo (6) (Sub: Alan D 5,), Jenks (8), Tony (6), Ally (7), Darboy (8), Cush (8)

Man of the match: Jimer (Jim Ervin)