Same Old!

The Sky Blues suffered the same old fate at home to 4th placed Crusaders, as they succumbed without barely a whimper, losing by two goals to nil, to the Shore Road side. It's true to say United had their chances, if they had shown a wee bit of composure in front of goal, then maybe, they could have made a fight of it, but its also true to say, if the visitors had shown a wee bit of composure in front of goal, it could have been another embarrassing hiding for the beleaguered Sky Blues.

United manager, Spike, made two changes from his starting line-up of last Saturday's defeat against Linfield, Marky dropped down to the bench, replacing by the returning Cookie and Thommo was replaced by Sparky, which should have given us a bit of bite in midfield. Spike, in a local paper, said he had a plan to beat the Crues, well it was obvious from the start that plan had come unstuck but as I noticed many times in Spike's short reign, he's not one for changing his tactics.

United Captain Jenks, was playing up front with Tippers and he had the first chance, when he got a glimpse of goal a minute after the kick-off, but he slewed his left-foot shot harmlessly wide, an early chance gone begging. This seemed to wake the Crues and they won a dubious free kick, when Heately, went down under a challenge. Referee, Davey, marched out 12 paces for the United wall, but to no avail as Burns free-kick curled over the bar, without troubling Addis.

The returning Cookie was having a torrid time with Crues striker Owens, missing free headers and giving the striker too much room. Former United player, Craig McClean, was allowed to cross the ball and Owens got a header in, but Addis tipped the ball over the bar. Gavin Whyte, then missed a glorious chance when he broke down United left flank, but his cross cum shot came to nothing, I breathed a sigh of relief, if he had shot at goal, the chances are he would have scored.

I glanced at our bench, surely I thought Spike has to see this is not working and change things, but he dithered and the Crues took over. The Lino on the Fisherwick side seemed reluctant to flag for offsides and he signalled for Crues corner, when Cookie slipped and Owens shot was parried by Addis, even though the ball had seemed to have crossed the goal-line before keeper got his hand to it. United seemed to wake from their slumbers and they had a good spell of pressure after this.

Steeky, the former Crues player, linked up with Tippers, but he didn't trouble former United keeper, Ogre, yet another chance gone. There's was little or no atmosphere in the ground and the home supporters seemed to waiting for United to concede a goal and midway through the half, they weren't disappointed. From a corner on the right, Coates of Crues was allowed a free header and his goal-bound effort was made sure by Robinson.

United tried to gain a foothold in the match but they were frustrated by the no nonsense tackling from the Crues defence, they weren't afraid give up free-kicks for they knew they could withstand anything in the air that United threw at them. Referee Davey, had already let Coates away with a tasty tackle, no yellow card and when United Captain Jenks sprinted clear down the left-wing, he was chopped down by Crues Captain Coates.

As Coates was the last defender, it was surely a yellow card, if not a red one, but Davey didn't flourish either. Jenks had already been foiled with Ogre, when he shot straight at the keeper, but with halftime approaching, the post came to the visitors rescue when a Jenks volley cannoned back off it with Ogre beaten. The 4th officials electronic board seems to not work at Ballymena and we have to rely on our announcer Davy 'the' King, to tell what time the ref has added on at the end of each half.

So it was yesterday, when Davy announced that there would be one minute of additional time this half, but ref Davey seemed to have a mind of his own and added on about two mins from this point. united mounted an attack and from a Gawley corner the ball was cleared and I expected the ref to blow his halftime whistle, but he didn't and the Crues mounted an attack and with the United defence at sixes and sevens, Caddell found himself one-on-one with keeper Addis.

Caddell tried to thread the ball round Addis but it wasn't going anywhere near the goal and Addis collided with him and the ref gave a penalty. Like the Coates challenge on Jenks, Addis deserved a yellow card, there were covering defenders and the ball rolled harmlessly over the goal line anyway, so not a red card, but the ref mustn't have brought any out with him and Addis escaped a booking. I have since watched on the TV highlights and seems a clear-cut penalty, but no red card.

Addis made a brilliant save to his right, pushing O'Carroll's spot kick away for a corner, to prove he is the penalty king as he showed in United's County Antrim Shield victory over the mighty Linfield, in December 2012. The resultant corner came to nothing and the ref finally blew his whistle for halftime. United were not out of it by any means, but they need a change of personnel or a change of tactics, thumping high ball at the Crues defence wasn't working, surely Spike had to see that.

2nd half
With United attacking their favourite Fisherwick end in this half, I was optimistic that Fergie would see the error of his ways and change the style of our play, but we just continued in the same vein. The ref must have got his cards at halftime and finally booked Coates for a foul, too little too late by my reckoning. Ally had a chance to reduce the arrears but his shot was blocked and then Spike's son Matthew, dribbled through the Crues defence, but couldn't get enough power on his shot.

Just when I thought we were getting a foothold in the match, the Crues struck again and Whyte who had a couple of chances in the first half, was on hand to rifle the ball into the net, past the bemused United defenders. The ball came into the United box and a United defender's header went straight to Whyte, yet another defensive clanger to add to the many that has gone on over the last few games. Fergie's master-stroke, was to take off his son and bring on Darboy.

We went back to trying to play the Crues at their own game, long passes up front, but they were bread and butter for the Crues defence. McClean became the 2nd player to be booked with a foul on Gawley, there was no stopping Davey now that he had got a taste for it, I idly thought. The resultant free-kick was put out for a corner, but JT headed this over when well placed. When Crues manager Baxter, brought on Timmy Adamson, Fergie seemed at a loss and did nothing to counteract this move.

Ally spurned a great chance to give us hope, but he blasted the ball over with Ogre off his line, when a subtle chip was called for. From a corner, taken by Gawley, the ball was played back to the wingers feet and he crossed again but it seemed that it was too close to the goalie and it appeared to be a lost cause. However Darboy challenged the keeper and he appeared to throw the ball into the net, but the ref allowed he was fouled, I'm not so sure myself, but the ref made the decision.

Crues missed a great chance to seal the points, when Heately's shot was parried by Addis and Declan Caddel missed from two yards, with the United defence at sixes and sevens yet again. With less than 15 mins left Spike, brought on, Brian Mack (who was supposed to be out for the season with an injury), for the tired Gawley, no doubt saving him with Tuesday's league cup semi in mind. With 5 mins of normal time being played JT was booked for an innocuous foul on halfway.

Crues player, Heately, who has to been known to take a 'dive', was trying to win free-kicks yesterday again and ref Davey let him off with it. United got a lifeline near the end of the game, when they won a free-kick near the 'D' but Tony's free kick bounced off the the Crues wall and he ballooned the rebound over the crossbar. The referee added the requisite 3 mins, but they had only been 3 subs in total used, but Crues were wasting time at every opportunity and who could blame them.

When Heately dived again deep in injury time, the ref ignored him but eventually had to call the physio on and Heately had to go off with Emmett Friars, replacing him. Coates must have thought Sparky was the culprit in Heatley's having to go off and when the ball was played out of defence he used his head in the United's man neck without a chance of getting the ball. This should have been a straight red card, but ref Davey took the easy way out, a second yellow and the Crues were down to ten men.

United had one last chance from this free-kick taken by Addis, but the Crues defence held firm and the ref finally blew his whistle and United had lost their tenth league game and taken a mere five points from the 2nd round of matches, ironically ten games and only five points, if that's not relegation form I don't what is. United have one chance to restore a bit of pride this Tuesday when they take on the Ducks, in the league cup semi-final, lose that and they might as well close the gates, in my opinion!

Addis (7), Tony (6), Cookie (5), JT (7), Steeky (7), Gawley (6) (Sub: Darboy 6,), Ferguson (6) (Sub: Mack  6,), Sparky (6), Ally (6), Jenks (7), Tippers (6)

Man of the match: Stuarty Addis