Dream Start!

United manager Spike broke with his policy about not changing a winning team with Archie and MM dropping down to the bench, taking their places were the veteran Cookie and Ally. Spike ignored the advice freely offered to him by Sky Blue Sport to rest Alan D and the South-Down resident repaid Spike's faith by having his best game this season. United got off to a dream start, when from a free-kick taken by Tony Kane out on the right touchline, Cookie stole in unnoticed and his header went in off the post while Buchanan in the Swifts goal could only look on in horror. United and their fans were in dreamland, there was barely 90 seconds on the clock and two mins later from a corner taken by Tony from the left, JT got a boot on his forehead, ignored by referee Ross Dunlop and had to go off to get it stitched, what a hectic five minutes it had been.

Down to ten men, United continued to force the pace and Ally exchanged passes with Alan D and forced a good save from Buchanan. When the ball came back in again, Jimer was floored in the box but referee Dunlop saw nothing. JT returned with his head bandaged and stitched I assume and the Swifts forced a corner but United keeper Shan proved he was fit, by plucking the ball out of the air. United were relentless and Alan D tried an overhead kick and from the rebound Buchanan fisted the ball for a corner from the left. From this in-swinger, again taken by Tony, JT glanced a header into the net to give the Sky Blues a 2-0 lead.

We had reached the halfway stage in the first half and we were coasting at 2-0, but I remembered what happened last week when we were coasting so I managed to quell my excitement. Tony and Jimer had exchanged passes on the right earlier in the game, nearly below where I was sitting, but unfortunately lost possession by taking too much out of the ball. But they tried again and from the fifth pass, Jimer crossed and Darboy headed United's third goal, making three headers in a row and was beside myself with joy. Jimer collected the ball in his own half and strode into the Swifts half and found Cush on the right. Cush made a bee-line for the box and with Darboy unmarked beside him, he elected to shoot himself but it was too high, but referee Dunlop decided that Buchanan had tipped it over for a corner from the left.

Tony's corner this time led to a goalmouth scramble and JT looked set to score when he was tripped, but referee Dunlop waved play on. The Swifts should have got a goal back just a minute before halftime when McCullough headed against the post, when looked easier to score and Cookie threw himself and blocked Ligget's follow up shot. United should have sealed the match in time added on, when Jimer broke up an attack and made inroads into the Swifts half and with Darboy making space on the right, he elected to find Cush in the centre. United's leading scorer steadied himself and hit a daisy-cutter towards the Swifts goal, but ball unfortunately the ball came back off the post. That was virtually the last action of the half and United players came off to a standing ovation, but it was only halftime.

2nd half
United took the field in the 2nd half and like last Saturday against the Point they seemed lethargic and the Swifts got a lifeline 8 mins in the half. Shan came for a cross and was beaten to it by a Swifts forward and he headed it towards goal and JT hooked the ball off the line, but from the follow-up header by Ligget the linesman adjudged the ball had crossed the line, but I was not too sure, but the lino was well positioned. It was obvious that a change of personnel was needed at this point, as United couldn't get anything going and in my humble opinion they needed tacklers in midfield, but Spike continued with his starting line-up. The Swifts came within inches of reducing the leeway with 20 mins left when from a corner, Brennan was unmarked, but his shot struck the crossbar.

Surely Fergie would act now I thought and he had Archie and Gavin warming up. United survived another scare when Lavery could only head into Shan's chest with the United defence at sixes and sevens. We had a bout of fisticuffs when a United player was fouled and the Swifts central defender appeared to elbow Ally and it resembled a ruck at rugby for a  moment, but referee Dunlop took no action against the culprit.  At last Spike acted and took off Ally, with Archie coming on to play in front of the back four I think and that was in 81 mins and five mins later Captain Jenks made way for Gavin. Shan came to United's rescue when he pushed the ball for a corner from a free-kick. United sealed the game when Alan D unselfishly passed to Darboy and he beat Buchanan with a rising shot to score his second goal and United's fourth.

In 89 mins Spike took off Cush and brought on Kelly and when they were waiting for a free-kick to be taken, the Swifts central defender went down clutching his head, blaming Kelly for an elbow. The ref checked with his fellow officials who saw nothing and the match drew to a close and United had triumphed by 4-1, beating the Swifts for the 4th time this season, but it had been closer than it needed to be, but we were through to a semi-final with Queens who beat Bangor. I would have preferred that we got a Premier team, for I know from painful experience how we struggle against so called inferior opposition, Ballymoney United and the Welders being two prime examples this season alone, but if we can't beat Queens, it'll be a sad day for everyone of a Sky Blue persuasion!

Shan (6), Jimer (8), McBride (7), JT (8), Cookie (8), Tony (8), Alan D (7), Jenks (6) (Sub: Gavin 6,), Cush (7) (Sub: Kelly 7,), Darboy (8), Ally (7) (Sub: Archie 7),

Man of the match: Cookie Munster