Young United!

United manager, Glenn 'Spike' Ferguson, was true to his word and picked a mainly reserve team, I only  recognised 5 players myself and they were, keeper Cairns, centre-back Loughran, Neil Lowry, James McCabe, who captained the side and MM. The rest of the starting eleven were mainly reserve players and I suspect a few youth team players as well. The back four, as well as Loughran, was made up of Harris, Graham and Hamill. The midfield three were Owen Kane, Johnston and our managers son, Matthew leaving Lowry, McCabe and MM as our strikers.

James McCabe, won the toss and decided we should attack the Farm Lodge end, a United tradition I think. His knowledge was rewarded when he got on the end of a long clearance to slot the ball home and give the Sky Blues the lead. They nearly doubled it through Lowry when his left wing cross-shot came off the bar with McKibben in the visitors goal, all at sea. Ards began to claw their way back into the game and the youngsters were guilty of defending too deep, but they managed to keep their line intact. Leftback Hamill and Loughran showed their class and it was obvious that Ards had to produce something special to get back on level terms'

Just when United seemed to have weathered the storm, Faulkner, who had mesmerised the full United defence back in August, went on a mazy run along the 18 yard box and with nobody tracking him, his crisp left-foot shot found the net past the outstretched, Macauley Cairns, to tie the scores up at one apiece. That equaliser came in the 42nd minute and the referee, John Deigan, from Limavady, added the customary one minute of added time and the youngsters held out to halftime. The United crowd, all 300 plus, applauded them off at the interval for they deserved it, they had come of age.

2nd half
I was looking forward to Neal Lowry, showing his pace as United were attacking out favourite Fisherwick end in this half, but alas after 6 mins he had to come off with what looked like a groin injury and was replaced by McQuillan. This half was not as good as the first but after United had made another substitution, Matthew Ferguson making way for Black, Kane threaded the ball through to McCabe and he forced McKibben to make a save with his feet. McKibben, showed his prowess by snatching the ball out of the air at a United corner and at the other end Cairns was relieved to see McClellan of Ards, head over when well placed.

United made their final substitution when the lively Hamill had to come off with cramp and was replaced by Carson. Ards should have sealed the points when Gibson found himself unmarked, but his free header finished up on top of the net, rather than in it. MM had a chance to snatch an unlikely victory right at the death but his powerful shot was saved by McKibbin and the chance had gone abegging. Referee Deigan added on the requisite three mins and the news had already filtered through the ground that Ards were relegated as Institute won the Championship. By a cruel twist of fate, Bangor had been held to a 1-1 draw, therefore gifting 'Stute the title and the equalising goal was scored by Ross Cahoon, who has signed for Ards next season, he'll be  a poplar boy, in Derry, if not in Ards.

When the ref blew the final whistle, the majority of our fans stayed to applaud the youngsters off and was a well deserved for they adapted well to first team football. I was worried when I heard Fergie's plans for the match, but the youngsters grabbed the chance with both hands and I thought that Hamill, Harris, Loughran and sub McQuillan acquitted themselves very well and were not overwhelmed by the occasion. All in all, it's been a good season and its fitting that should end with a look at the future, hopefully the senior boys will step up to plate next Saturday and win the Irish cup and then hopefully the good times will roll. We maintained our seventh position in the league table, not much to write home about, but we've bigger fish to fry at Windsor Park next week, Sky Blues for the Irish cup.

She wore, she wore a Sky Blue ribbon in the merry month of May and when, I asked her, why she wore that ribbon, she said its for United and I'm with them all the way, all the way, all the way, we're the famous Ballymena and we're with them all the way!

Cairns (7), Harris (7), Hamill (8) (Sub: Carson 7,), Loughran (8), Graham (6),  Johnston (7), Ferguson (7) (Sub: Black 7,),  O. Kane (7), Lowry (7) (Sub: McQuillan 8,), McCabe (8), MM (6)

Man of the match. Loughran