Got Through!

United manager Spike, went ahead with his plan and made 8 changes from his starting line-up of last Saturday, only playing Dwayne, Cookie and Ally and a subs bench of JT,Gavin, Tippers, Cush and the Barber (Gawley). We had a back four of Harris, Cookie, Captain, for the night, Archie  and Ruddy. The midfield was made up Kaner, Thommo, Sparky and Ally and the strike force was Darboy and Mack (McCaul). The ref was Peter McGrath from Newtownabbey, a new one to me and I hope he never referees a game involving the Sky Blues for a long, long time. I believe in letting the game flow, but there has to come a time when the ref takes the ultimate action, but master McGrath wasn't interested last night.

He started out by yellow carding United's Mike Ruddy for a professional foul near the halfway line and if he had continued in that mode I think maybe the opposition players wouldn't have got stuck into the Premier league leaders as much as they did, leaving at least two players doubtful for Friday night's game against Glenavon and maybe some time after that. If it wasn't for the remonstrating of the United bench, a Newington player would have got away with a leg-break tackle on Ruddy, which merited a straight red, McGrath reluctantly issued a yellow, under protest. The game was only five mins old when Darboy had a chance to give us an early lead, but despite his best efforts his shot cannoned off keeper Smyth's chest and was scrambled to safety.

Newington were not overawed by this and two mins later they forced a corner at the other end which United struggled to clear. I was already thinking that it was going a tense affair, much  like last season against Ballymoney. Ally had another chance for United as he beat the keeper to the ball, but was unable to get his shot on target. After a United corner, Ruddy committed a professional foul on Burns as Newington tried to counter attack, when he was the last man, lucky to get away with a yellow card I thought, even though it happened in Newington's half. But referee McGrath wasn't finished with his leniency, not by a long chalk as he demonstrated when Mack was the victim of a brutal tackle, he merely gave the free-kick.

Newington exerted some pressure on the United defence and they were happy to concede a corner, which Dwayne punched away under pressure. With 12 mins gone, Kaner found Darboy abut ten yards form goal, but unfortunately, he couldn't find the target. In another spell of pressure from the home team, Darboy missed with a header after a good cross from Kaner. Thommo was clattered near the goal-line, but the ref ruled it was a 50/50 tackle, I personally I'm not so sure, I thought he was fouled. I could obviously see that Gary was hurt and the United bench caught on and made ready with a sub. Before this could take place, Darboy had another chance to open the scoring when he got his head to Kaner's corner, but he missed the target, would we ever score I was thinking to myself.

Thommo was unable to continue and Dwayne kicked the ball out, in order for him to have treatment and Tipper  prepared to come on. Gary was forced to limp off, despite our physio walking alongside of him, but he never gave a Gary any support. Must be a new ploy, you have to walk off unattended, or, as it was confirmed that Gary had a dead leg, was that a part of the treatment. Tippers came on and Mack dropped back to midfield. With 25 mins gone, Newington spurned a good chance to take the lead, when McClean drove the ball to the side netting with Dwayne beaten at his near post. Almost immediately United took the lead, when after Darboy was fouled about 30 yards from goal, Kaner scored with a beautiful free-kick ,with Smyth in Newington goal, rooted to his line.

It was a goal which United hardly deserved, having frittered away so many openings, but that in a nutshell, is football and why we all love it. With ten minutes to go until halftime, Sparky, of all people, was unlucky to see his left-foot shot just clear the crossbar, I didn't honestly know Sparky had a left-foot. A minute or so later, Kaner played Ruddy in with a 50 yard pass, but Ruddy's shot didn't find the target, another chance gone begging. With four mins remaining in the half, Newington player, I think it was Gilgunn, came over the top in a tackle on Ruddy and the linesman incredulously gave a throw-in. The United bench was 'up in arms' at this miscarriage of justice and under protest McGrath booked the culprit, but I thought it should have a red card, there's no place in football for tackles like that.

The visitors spurned two more chances to get back in the game when first O'Neill flashed his shot past the post when a pass would have been more profitable, as they had the United defence out numbered, 4 on 2 and Brannigan shot wide on cusp of halftime. As the ref blew his whistle for halftime we were talking about last season's struggle against Ballymoney and hoping against hope that we would wake up and smell the coffee and dreading Darboy missing three more chances in the 2nd half and the visitors notching one of their many chances, if they continued to play out of 'their skins' in the second half. The Ballymena Boy, Norman Clarke, was unimpressed with our team, but impressed with Newington's football ability, but I explained that they shared the ground with the Crues and they were used to playing on that 3g surface.

2nd half
Three mins into the second period, United increased their lead, when Mack fulfilled his promise and found Darboy in space (I personally thought he was miles offside), but the lino's flag stayed down and he stroked the ball into the net to give United  a 2-0 lead. Surely the floodgates would open now I thought, we were virtually certain to be in the next round, drawn on Saturday coming, with a two goal cushion early in the second half. Fergie probably thought so to and ten mins into the half, he replaced his Captain Cookie, with JT, no doubt with this Friday's encounter with Glenavon in mind. With ten mins of the half gone, Harris found Tippers with a neat pass, but with the goal at his mercy, Tippers drove the ball over the bar.

Two mins later United nearly paid dearly for their benevolence in front of goal, when a Bradley free-kick, took a deflection off the United wall and the scrambling Dwayne was relieved to see it go out for a corner. Then in a goalmouth scramble, Newington were unlucky not to get a foothold in the match, when Glenholmes shot was deflected for a corner. United failed to deal with this corner properly and Finlay had a chance to reduce the leeway, but he shot straight at Dwayne. As luck would have it, almost immediately , the Sky Blues got another clincher with 25 mins gone when Kaner found Tippers with a clever ball over the top and the ex-Linfield man lobbed the advancing Smyth to give United an unassailable lead  3-0.

Smyth, had clattered in to Tippers and I thought he deserved at least a booking, for his indiscretion, a late, late tackle, but Master McGrath gave the goal and took no further action. Both players had to receive  extensive treatment and Tippers was replaced with Cush taking his place and Smyth was able to continue, but he looked to be suffering. Newington went straight back to the attack but United broke up the play and started an attack of their own, when Darboy missed another chance, when left one-on-one with the keeper from Mack's pass, but Smyth, showing no ill effects from his injury, saved with his legs Newington continued to pose a threat, but their luck was out when they couldn't get the vital touch with the United defence nowhere.

Then we had the miss of the match, when Kaner was found in the box by Darboy's pass, he unselfishly teed up new signing Mack, who missed the ball completely with the goal at his mercy. McClean was left to have a shot, but unfortunately for him, he shot straight at Dwayne. Ruddy was the victim of another heavy tackle and became the third man who had to limp off  for United, with less than 5 mins to go and United had to play with ten men, having already used all of their three subs. Cush, tried to give us some icing on the cake, when he left McClean for dead but JT and Kaner were unable to convert his teasing cross. There was no further action on goal and when McGrath blew his final whistle, the Sky Blues faithful, applauded with a mixture of joy and relief. We are in the next round, we had avoided the banana skin we had 'got through', roll on Friday night and I hope that Tippers is fit!

Dwayne (7), Harris (7), Ruddy (8), Cookie (7) (Sub: JT 6,), Archie (6), Kaner (8),  Thommo (6) (Sub: Tippers 7,) (Sub: Cush 6,),  Sparky (7), Ally (5), Mack (6),  Darboy (6)

Man of the match: Kaner