Backward Step!

After all the positives lately, of getting into the cup semi-final and consolidating our league position, United undone that with a disjointed display at the Oval last night. For a change we took a good crowd to an away match, but their team let them down, by trotting out this passionless display, which maybe will harm future away crowds, now that would be a tragedy. United manager Spike made one change from his starting line-up of last Saturday, Archie came in for McBride. Whether McBride was injured or dropped, I cannot say but Spike let be known that he had a panel 21 players to pick from, the only player not available was Marky McCullagh who was serving a one game ban.

Its true to say that United never exerted any authority in this match and the only outfield player to come out with anything approaching praise, was Archie, the rest were virtual passengers. Glentoran, who fielded only about five regulars, bossed this game from start to finish and United keeper Shan was the only thing that stood between out team and a hiding. Cookie Munster, was the hero last week, but he got the run-around from McKee, of Glens, making his debut, surely our manager had to see this and change things around, but he didn't and we paid the price. Scullion, one of the few recognisable players in the Glens team tested Shan earlier on but the United keeper made a routine save.

The United defence whether by design, or accident were getting the Glens forwards caught offside and they survived a few scary moments, when the flag stayed down. Scullion tried his luck again but Shan saved well for a second time. The United midfield could get nothing going and they weren't helped in this by Tony and Alan D, giving the ball away countless times. In a neat passage of play, Ally broke through to the Glens box, but the ball skidded away from him before he could get a shot in. On the half hour mark, Ally again found some space on the left and from his left wing cross, Darboy headed over the bar with Morris, in the Glens goal stranded, a half chance, but a chance.

Two minutes later we were made to pay for this benevolence in front of goal, when McKee, in an offside position was allowed to carry as the ball hit off JT and he calmly sidestepped Shan, to give the Glens a 1-0 lead. I thought, naively it seems, that this rule was abandoned when the new offside rule came in, accidental collision with the ball meant the player was offside, the only way he could have been onside was if JT had played the ball deliberately, but the goal stood and we were one down. Surely I thought Spike has to change things, but he didn't, he seemed devoid of ideas and we just went on as before. We managed to limp through to halftime and not concede any more, but it was obvious that a change would have to made, sooner rather later, but Spike dithered and dallied.

2nd half
United started brightly in this half and Cush found Captain Jenks in space and the big Scotsman made a beeline for the the Glens box and was about to pull the trigger when he was cleaned by Garret. I thought it was stonewall penalty, Jenks had the ball protected and the only way Garret could get to it, was through Jenks, but the referee McNabb saw nothing. A minute later, McKee skinned Cookie out on the left and from his cross McCaffrey had time to steady himself and pick his spot past the stranded Shan. Still Spike made no changes to his starting eleven, he just seemed to resigned to losing the match. With nearly an hour gone at last Spike made a double substitution, with Cookie coming off to be replaced by Ruddy and Kane coming off to be replaced by MM.

Archie moved into the centre of defence with Ruddy moving to leftback, but I thought MM was a bad move coming on in place of Kane as we had no tacklers in midfield now. Referee McNabb, who had been reluctant to book Glens players when they committed bookable fouls, showed his bias by starting to book United players and the first one was JT. How JT remained on the field after that is a mystery to me, as he continued to foul with impunity and dish out punishment to Glens players. With twenty mins left, Spike made his final sub with Ally making way for Thommo, but in my mind Thommo should've been on at the start of the 2nd half for Alan D, but what do I know.

Referee McNabb contrived to give the Glens a penalty when he gave them a throw-in despite the Glens player deliberately playing it out and United got caught napping and JT was adjudged to have bundled over O'Hanlon unfairly and the ref pointed to the spot. Shan tried in vain to stop O'Halloran's spot kick but he was beaten and the match was over and it became a damage limitation for the United defence. Shan came to our rescue another couple of times, with good stops, but he was alone in having a good game, the rest of the team let him down. Darboy nearly a fashioned a consolation goal for us with time ticking away, but Morris denied him, saving at the strikers feet when he slipped the past the Glens defence. The referee's whistle saved us from any more embarrassment and with it we had blown all hope of a top six spot in the league I think!

Shan (8), Jimer (5), Archie (7), Cookie (5) (Sub: Ruddy 6,), JT (6), Kane (5) (Sub: MM 6,), Alan D (5), Jenks (6), Cush (6), Darboy (6), Ally (6) (Sub: Thommo 6,)

Man of the match: Shan