Blew It!

That may seem a strange headline I've given this report, but in my humble opinion, we missed a load of chances to be sitting at the top of the Premier league table today. The chief culprit, as far United were concerned, in this enthralling game, was their capture from Linfield in the close season, Matthew Tipton (Tippers), who could have had an easy hat-trick. By an ironic twist of fate, one of the players we released in  order to make room for Tippers on the payroll, was Michael McClellan (MM) and he hit 9 goals for H &W Welders yesterday, but that's another story.

This match had everything, including a controversial sending-off by ref Andy Hunter, I thought originally that incident was merely obstruction, or at worst or an accidental collision, but Hunter had no hesitation in issuing a red card to our Captain, Alan Jenkins and awarded the Glens a penalty. Sammy Patterson allowed it was a goal-scoring opportunity, but I'm wasn't so sure, for our keeper Dwayne was in the thick of things and we'll never know how things might have turned out.

I counselled myself with the thought that ref was 'on the ball' and he would not shirk to do his duty, nothing could be further from the truth as it turned out. Our manager, Spike, made three changes from his starting line-up of a week ago. Out went the injured duo, of Cush and Cookie and Tony Kane dropped to the subs bench. That meant a rare starts for Archie and Darboy for the injured duo and Gawley replaced Tony. The game got off to a whirlwind start, thanks mainly to a linesman who didn't seem to grasp the meaning of the offside-side rule.

Within a minute of the start of the game and with United defending the Fisherwick end, the Lino missed a blatant offside but United managed to divert it for a corner. Dwayne came to our rescue, punching the ball out and then it was our turn to put the Glens under pressure, when from a Gawley corner, half cleared by Glens defence, Tippers was found by a powerful header from Gavin and with only Glens keeper Hogg to beat, he screwed his shot wide, a dreadful miss, he didn't even work the keeper.

United paid dearly for this benevolence in front of goal, when in a bit of sustained pressure, ref Hunter allowed that Jenks deliberately wrestled Scullion, the former scum player, to the ground and not only awarded the penalty, he sent, Jenks off for good measure. Dwayne got hurt as well in this collision and had to receive treatment on an injured knee which restricted his movements in the rest of the game. I remain adamant that I don't think it was a penalty, but even if it was, there was no malice in Jenks tackle, at worst it was clumsy, but Hunter decided he had to go.

Dwayne was okay to continue after treatment, but he was well beaten with the resultant spot-kick, despite diving the right way. United were fighting a rearguard battle for a few minutes and the Glens looked like adding to the score, but somehow we survived, despite the lino missing two more blatant offsides. We were starting to get inroads into the match and Gavin was leading by example, aided and abetted by Gawley and Ally. JT, was having a solid game in defence against his former team, but one thing usually lets him down when he breaks out of defence, his final pass, but not yesterday.

With 33mins on the clock, JT picked up the ball outside the box, strode forward to near the halfway line and found Darboy with an inch perfect pass. The ex-Glens player didn't need in any further bidding and he struck a sweet half-volley with his left-foot, which left Hogg helpless and drew the Sky Blues deservedly level at 1-1. United and their fans were deliriously and a minute later, the alert Gavin robbed Glens defender Birney, only to be scythed down  by Birney, when he was clean through, surely a red card offence, but Hunter merely issued a yellow.

From the resultant free-kick, Birney appeared to hand the ball and the ref  pointed to the spot, but I couldn't believe he didn't caution Birney, who in my opinion should have been sent-off for the tackle on Gavin, but his handball deserved a yellow card, but Hunter, being Hunter, thought otherwise. The normally reliable Ally, took a long time placing the ball and Sammy remarked that he looked less than confident and this turned out to be so true. Hogg, in the Glens goal moved early and was able to divert Ally's weak effort, but it should have been taken again for the keeper moved but ref Hunter let it stand.

United spurned another chance to go in at the break with a 2-1 lead, when JT sent a free header over the bar from Gawley's pin-point corner. The 4th official added 2 mins of stoppage time and the teams came in at halftime with game evenly balanced at 1-1. But it could have and should have been more one-sided than 10 playing 11 as the 10 men of United missed three glorious chances to be leading but in the end had to settle for a draw at halftime. The Sky Blues came off to rapturous applause, fully deserved but the ref came off to boos, also fully deserved I think.

2nd half
United continued to take the game to the Glens at the start of the second period and JT, popped up on the left-wing and delivered another defence splitting pass to Tippers and with the goal at his mercy, Tippers tried to control the ball and the chance was lost. Surely he had to hit first time, we could have forgiven him for blasting it wide, but not to get a shot in was unforgivable in my eyes. I was hoping for Spike to take Tippers off at this stage, but we have a dearth of strikers and we had nobody on the bench save for the versatile Sparky, but Spike didn't act.

Twenty mins into the half, Gawley made way for the fit again, Thommo, no doubt the barber was feeling the pace a wee bit, for he had run his socks off. Tippers had another chance, when he was found by Darboy, but he screwed his shot wide, a feeble effort if ever I saw one. Even Fergie had seen enough of his mis-hitting striker and Sparky came on to replace him. Referee Hunter decided to take a hand in proceedings and gave the Glens a corner, when it was clearly a goal-kick, but he disallowed Curtis Allen's header from the set-piece, so justice was done.

Sparky had moved into midfield and Ally had gone upfront with Darboy, but I think we handed the ascendency to the visitors and they renewed their efforts to get the winner. The visitors spurned chances galore and United were clinging on for dear life and I was hoping against hope that we could survive. Fergie played his last trump card, taking off Gavin, the man of the match and bringing Kane on. With Tony's fresh legs and we started to get something going in attack, but it was oh so laboured, we had lost our fluency.

Referee Hunter wasn't done with us yet and after Thommo had been scythed by a Glens player, no card flourished he booked two of our players within two minutes. First he booked JT, for a late tackle and from the free-kick we struggled to clear our lines and sub Jordan Stewart, forced the ball in at the near post to give the Glens a 2-1 lead, with United claiming that Nelson saved it. I 've looked at the camera angle and its inconclusive but the lino at that end of the ground was more than generous to us throughout the game and I'll give the benefit of the doubt.

Darboy had a shot deflected for a corner, but Tony made a mess of the dead ball and then in his haste to cover fouled a Glens player, his first foul I might add and Hunter couldn't get the yellow card out quick enough, biased or what. United were still trying to get on even terms and when the 4th official held up the added time of four mins, I was wondering if we had enough time to do it. When Sparky challenged the Glens defenders for the ball, there seemed little danger.but he got through and Hogg managed to parry his shot.

But the local man Sparky, wasn't done and he managed to get a pass off to Thommo and Thommo showed Tippers how it should be done, firing United level through a ruck of Glens defenders and sending the fans into raptures in the process. Sure it was no more than we deserved, but we left it late, but better late than never. Despite having a biased referee, in Andy Hunter, we had come good at the last minute, but oh how we missed our chance to record a rare victory over the Glens at our home ground, that wait, will have to go on!

Dwayne (8), Marky (7), Steeky (7), Archie (7), JT (8), Gawley (7) (Sub: Thommo 8). Jenks (6), Gavin (8) (Sub: Tony 6), Ally (6), Darboy (8), Tippers (5) (Sub; Sparky 8,),

Man of the match: Gavin