Tillysburn Tremor!

United so nearly came unstuck yesterday when they snatched an undeserved draw at H &W Welders Tillysburn Park, Just four minutes of normal time was left, when United's Cookie Munster, in spite of his admitted 37 years, chased a seemingly lost cause, got to the ball, before it crossed the goal-line and delivered an inch perfect cross for Darboy to mark his debut with a goal and keep the Sky Blues in the cup. It was hard luck on the Welders and their manager, Gary Smyth, they were far and away the best team and played some delightful football against a lack-lustre United team. As expected, United manager Spike, made only one change from his starting line-up of last week, Aaron Shanahan in goals, for the ineligible Frenchy Lacroix.

Barely six mins was on the clock, when Shan saved a brilliant lob from Welders Matty Burrows at the expense of a corner. From the resultant corner kick, the United defence was at sixes and sevens and the ball fell kindly for Welders central defender, Phillip Simpson and he scored with a crisp shot. Surely this would wake United from their slumbers and they should have got back on level terms, when Ally turned his man, but he found Cush with his back to goal and in spite of a neat turn, the United talisman shot was blocked for a corner. Archie was overlapping, but when he came up, there was nobody to pass to and he had to pass cross-field and the chances were lost, as inevitably the Welders intercepted.

Burrows nearly increased the Welders stranglehold on the game, but Shan saved his deflected shot and at the other Archie went on a surging run and sent an inviting over, but nobody, but nobody tried to get on the end of it. From a free-kick by Magennis, Cahoon was allowed a free header but luckily he missed the target. United were forced to make a substitution when Gavin got injured and new signing Jim Ervin took his place and Tony K moved up to midfield. Jimer was straight into the action, taking a throw-in and then tackling back when the Welders stole possession. United forced a corner just before the break but Welders keeper Windrum was equal to a header from Cookie, from Ally's kick.  The Welders had the last say in the half, when Burrows curled an effort, wide another lucky let-off for the Sky Blues.

2nd half
United came out early for the second-half, a good five mins early in fact and the match was held up another five mins when one of the nets had to be pinned down. United made another substitution at this time  ex-Coleraine player Darren Boyce coming on to replace Sparky. This meant our Captain Jenks, moving back to midfield and this I thought was a mistake on our part, better to go 4,4,2 and keep Jenks up with Darboy. Jenks incidentally was playing his hundredth game in a Sky Blue jersey, but it was not one of his better games it has to said. United spurned a good chance to get back on level terms, when another Ally corner was met by the head of Cookie and although Windrum made a good save, JT missed the target with goal gaping sending his shot wide.

United began to get a grip on the match, but the Welders were still in the game and Davidson curled an effort wide with Shan in United goal scrambling. United were getting inroads into the Welders defence with Kane, Jimer and Cush prominent and in 60 mins they fashioned an equaliser. Cush fed Jimer and from his deep cross, Kane challenged Simpson and ball seemed to go into the net off Tony's back and tie the scores at one-apiece. Welders came back and Davidson went on a jinking run leaving defenders in his wake but Shan was equal to his shot. Tony then played Darboy in but he lifted his shot over the bar instead of working the keeper. With 12 mins remaining the Welders struck and from a another set-piece, a throw-in on the right, Archie was left to deal with two men and when the deep cross came in, Burrows had the easy task of tapping the ball into the net with the United defence in tatters.

We were up against it now and the home team were making it difficult, denying us precious seconds with their time-wasting, but it was all done good-humouredly. Spike made his last substitution, MM coming on for Thommo and we switched to 4,4,2. There an old saying that goes something like this, 'cometh the hour, cometh the man' and that is so true in United's case yesterday and the man was Davey 'Cookie' Munster. As I said earlier, he chased a seemingly lost cause, the ball seemed to be going out for a goal-kick, but he not only prevented that, but he got in a cross and débutante Darboy scored with a glancing header to leave the score tied at 2-2. I breathed a sigh of relief, I couldn't honestly see how we were going to get back in the game. We nearly 'stole' it when Ally's right-foot shot was brilliantly palmed away by Windrum, but I was relieved I can tell you to get a draw!

Shan (7), Kane (7), Archie (6), Cookie (7), JT (6), Gavin (6) (Sub: Jimer 7,), Sparky (6) (Sub: Darboy 7,), Thommo (6) (Sub: MM 6,), Cush (6), Jenks (6), Ally (7)

Man of the match: Cookie Munster