Double Bluff!

Both managers were adamant before Saturday's match, there would be changes to their starting line-up, the bearded, fat man Hamilton, called it squad rotation, but our own manager, Spike, said he was going to give some youngsters a try out, but as it turned out it was a case of 'bluff' and 'double bluff'. United made three changes from their starting line-up of last week against the Crues, out went the injured Thommo, Cookie was rested, I think and Gavin dropped down to the bench. Captain Jenks was restored to the team along with Ally and Tony. Glenavon seemed to pick a strong team and I recognised most of the names, but I needed someone to point out to me that the bearded 'fat man', was indeed Glenavon's player-manger, Gary Hamilton, who resembled a tramp.

The surprise inclusion in the United side for me was defensive stalwart, JT, who had to go off injured at Seaview in  88 mins, which looked like hamstring trouble, but he played the full 90 mins today and looked fit to me. With Tony restored to the team, we now were able to exert some long throw-ins at the Glenavon defence, with JT as the target. Glenavon are well known for this ploy themselves, but as Jonesy says, they don't like 'up em', or to put another way, they don't like a dose of their own medicine. The United's first chance came about from this unlikely source and it fell to local lad Sparky, when JT's knock-down from Tony's long throw, landed at his feet, the Broughshane man turned quickly and shot for goal only to see McGrath the Glenavon keeper block the shot with his body.

Glenavon forwards were getting not much change out of our defence and Hamilton and Bates, were arguing the toss with the lino at the Fisherwick end and the referee, Wesley Campbell, from Aughur, a sure sign that things were going well. The referee, who I admit I never saw before yesterday's game, seemed to have forgotten his cards, when he let the visitors away with some tasty tackles. One in particular, a nasty studs-up on Cush went unpunished, save for the free-kick, which came to nothing. Glenavon had a well oiled offside trap and the United forwards were caught time and time again, but I was hopeful we would get a chance. After nearly half an hour of play, JT, with a chance to clear the ball allowed himself to be dispossessed by Bates and although Bates turned Jimer and shot for goal, JT, deflected it over the bar.

This chance seemed to wake the dark blues from their slumbers and they should of taken the lead, when a Hamilton pass was dummied and fell to winger McGrory, but he shot into the side netting. Almost immediately Glenavon paid for their benevolence in front of goal, when United took the lead on 36 mins. Cush was fouled out on the touchline by a defender, not booked again and from Tony's free-kick, JT nodded the ball goalwards, only for McGrath to parry the ball yet again, but it fell kindly to Darboy and his goal-bound shot was helped on its way by Patton on the goal-line, to give the Sky Blues the lead. United were almost undone a minute later when Bates shrugged off three defenders, but was unable to find the unmarked Hamilton and Shan in the United goal, got his angles right and the ball missed the target by inches.

Glenavon forced the pace and Bates set McGrory free but he shot tamely at Shan, a chance gone begging. The visitors continued to press and forced three corners in a row, but the United defence held firm, ably led by JT and Archie. McGrory on the right wing was proving to be a handful, for Steeky McBride, but the veteran stuck to his task and kept the winger quiet for the most part. The referee finally woke up and booked, player-manager Hamilton for berating the lino at the Fisherwick end and this was to have kind of repercussions for United as in the second-half this lino made some questionable offside decisions in favour of Glenavon. He also had a stern word with Paul Millar the coach of Glenavon. Shan, whose dead ball kicking is not the best, made a hash of a free playing it into touch and gifting possession to the opposition, but luckily for him they couldn't take advantage of this and the referee's whistle brought the first-half to a close.

2nd half
Glenavon made one change at halftime, the veteran David Rainey, coming on to replace player-manager Hamilton. There was  rumours circulating in the ground that Hamilton was mistaken for a vagrant and was arrested by the PSNI, but these rumours were subsequently proved to be false. Nine mins into the half Darboy volley the ball just over the bar, with his left-foot, past the stranded McGrath. Then in a Glenavon attack, the 'red mist' descended on Tony as he scythed a Glenavon player down on the touchline, a needless foul and a needless booking. Our manager had seen enough of Tony and he was replaced by Gavin, who's been known to have the seen 'red mist' at times too. Almost immediately the United line was breached when, Patton on the left wing was allowed to waltz round our defence and then pivot, to curl a right-foot shot past Shan to tie the scores at 1-1.

We had been pegged back and Spike made another substitution bringing on Alan D in place of Sparky. Alan D was only on the field two mins, when under-pressure near the centre-circle, he managed to find Ally with a defence splitting pass and the former Portadown player raced away from defender McCallion. As Ally cut into the box, McGrath seemed to cover the near post and Ally crossed to the inrushing Darboy who volleyed the ball into the net to give the Sky Blues a 2-1 lead. Then we had two doubtful offsides given against United players, the first saw Darboy, who had been in an offside position get back onside and as the ball was delivered to him the lino raised his flag. Then it was Ally's turn but he wasn't offside at all, but the flag was raised anyhow.

United continued to search for the clinching goal and they came so close when Ally and Darboy combined, to play in Alan D, but his shot was just past the post. United won a free kick about 30 yards from goal and the veteran Winkie Murphy, who had come on as a sub for Glenavon seemed to be taunting the referee, with his antics, when the ref was lining up the Glenavon wall, trying to kick the ball away, but Cush was having none of it and he held onto the ball. Cush drove the free kick round the Glenavon wall, but McGrath turned his goal-bound effort round the post, Cush's first shot on target in the match. Shan came to United's rescue once more with a good save from Singleton and Cush went off to be replaced by Gawley. Despite only five subs coming on and holding up play, Rainey had come on at halftime, the referee decided to add 4 mins of stoppage and I didn't think we were wasting time at any point.

During this added time, Jimer got a needless booking for trying to run the clock down, by attempted to take a corner, which he knew was a throw-in and he was booked for blatant time-wasting or for shirt-pulling. But United held out to get some revenge for the last time they met Glenavon at the Warden Street venue, on the first match of this season, when we lost 6-3, but only lost three points. There was an incident near the end when Bates seemed to direct an elbow at a United player, but the ref saw nothing. When nearly five mins had elapsed he brought proceeding to an end and we had prevailed against a team that will possibly meet again in the near future, if and I emphasis the 'if', we both win our semi-finals in 13 days time, but lets not count our chickens etc..etc..!

Shan (8), Jimer (7), Steeky (7), JT (8), Archie (8), Sparky (7) (Sub: Alan D 7,), Tony (7) (Sub: Gavin 7,), Jenks (7), Cush (7) (Sub Gawley 7,), Darboy (8), Ally (7)

Man of the match: Darboy