Time's Up!

It was good while it lasted, we had some good times and some bad, but alas the bad far outweighed the good, culminating in an abject display yesterday against Portadown in the Irish cup semi-final. Time and time again, we at 'Sport told Glenn that Thommo and Captain Jenks wouldn't work as a  midfield, partnership, but he seemed determined to ignore all our pleas and we paid penalty for his insistence in sticking to his guns yesterday.

The ease of which the Ports were able to get to our last line of defence, beggars belief and they were found wanting, not for the first time I might add. It was obvious that playing a 4,3,3, or the diamond formation was going to play into Ports hands and they took advantage of it. In the absence of Tall Tim, out with a chest infection, Dwayne got a rare start and JT was passed fit in an otherwise unchanged back line, to release Jenks to midfield, in a midfield three of the afore mentioned Jenks, Thommo and Kane.

The strike force was made up of Tippers, Cush and Cutch, who was rested last week, because of a gentleman's agreement between him and Crues manager, Stephen Baxter. Did United manager Spike and the United board know about this gentleman's agreement, between Cutch and Mister Ugly or not? I would go so far as to say they have no place in Football and should be outlawed by the authorities, but I realise, the IFA/NIFL will sit on the fence as usual.

If Fergie and our board knew nothing about this agreement, before it came to light, then Cutch's contract should have been torn up, or better still, he should have been suspended until the end of season, in my mind, if he's not for us, then he's against us. I feel sorry for Darboy (who was the subject a gentleman's agreement himself), who was left sitting on the bench, to let Cutch play. Darboy has proved how much he likes the Irish cup, but our manager went for Cutch instead, the mind boggles.

United won the toss and chose to defend the Sydenham end in the first half, with little or no wind, that would have been my choice, but it didn't do us any favours. Ports almost took the lead as early as the 2nd minute as Mackle was allowed space to cross, Twigg headed it to McAllister, but luckily for United his shot was over the bar. But the 'luck' that was on our side against Chickenville and the Welders, deserted us two mins later, as Paddy Mac's, attempted clearance bounced off McAllister and fell nicely for the striker and he beat Dwayne from close range.

I thought there was a hint of offside, but the Lino's flag stayed down and the Ports were one up. I had visions of a collapse, but I was hoping against hope, that we would change things around and get a grip in midfield, but nothing could be further from the truth. Tony Kane had our first meaningful chance, but he screwed his shot wide when well placed, he should have worked the keeper. With 15 mins on the clock, Ports struck again when Mackle found Gault in  acres of of space in our box.

Captain Jenks got back to close him down, but Gault got past him and his shot was blocked by Jimer on the line. But Gault never broke stride and he met the rebound to score and give the Ports a two goal cushion. United managed to pick themselves up off the floor and started to get something going for themselves. Cush, so often our talisman, was a shadow of himself, but he managed to get a shot in after a one-two, between him and Thommo.

But alas he scuffed his shot, but Cutch headed it back and Jenks missed a sitter with the goal at his mercy. A goal then would have got United back in the game but alas it was only a flash in the pan and the Ports put the icing on the cake five mins later. There seemed little danger as Twigg won a header just over the halfway-line, but he nodded it into to space and McMahon ran from deep, easily out-pacing Kane and as Dwayne came off his line, he chipped the ball over his head to make the score 3-0.

Surely Spike would act now, I foolishly thought, but no he seemed to be bereft of ideas and when we got a free-kick, taken by Tony, JT could only head wide. United nearly conceded a fourth goal near the break, but luckily this time, Twigg's shot was easily gathered by Dwayne. When the ref blew for halftime United came off to a crescent of booing, they had let us down badly and let themselves done even more. The booing became louder when our manager Spike and his backroom staff passed below us, they were the architects of our downfall, so to speak and it was only fitting that they should get the louder boos.

2nd half
United took the field early, with one change to their starting line-up, with Darboy replacing Cutch and reverted to a 4,4,2, formation, with Tony and Cush in the wide positions and Thommo and Captain Jenks in the centre. I feared for this combination as Jenks and Thommo, are non-tacklers, but we started to get into the game. Darboy sent in a teasing cross and Miskelly in the Ports goal punched clear, but Thommo's powder puff rebound was easily gathered by the keeper. Miskelly had been time wasting since the Ports went three up and he continued to do so and the ref done nothing.

I deplore time-wasting,. its depriving spectators who have paid hard earned money from enjoyment and in my mind its a fraud, but I stress that's only my opinion. United almost got hope 11 mins into the 2nd period, When McMahon volleyed a ball, when facing his own goal, that cannoned off the post with Miskelly beaten all ends up. Despite loads of pressure United couldn't get a foothold in the game and things were looking black indeed.

Things looked blacker, when Paddy Mac's attempted back header was woefully short, but Dwayne came to his rescue with a smart save. Paddy Mac seemed to be injured and had to come off  to be replaced with Ally, Jimer moved to central defence, with Tony filling in at right-back. On 70 mins United got a glimmer of hope when Darboy latched onto a long clearance from JT and his shot took a deflection off Redman, to find the net and leave the score, 3-1 in the Ports favour.

Could United mount a comeback and scupper Miskelly's time-wasting, ref Davey had done nothing to hurry the Ports keeper up and he just delayed the game evermore. Time and time again the ref let the Ports players away with questionable tackles, no yellow cards and kicking the ball away or not retreating at free-kicks, but he took no action and it was frustrating to watch him being  made to look a fool out of. But worse was happen in the last minute of normal time, when Cush chased a seemingly lost cause and was tripped by Miskelly near the by-line.

The ref astounded me by awarding a goal-kick, surely if it wasn't a penalty, then it was a corner, but the fifth official was our old friend, Colin 'blind man' Burns and he was adamant there had been no contact, and he had the best view, TV highlights has since proved that he was wrong, he has tunnel vision when it comes to the Sky Blues, which we know to our cost. The ref added insult to injury by only adding on three mins, admittedly there had only been three subs used, two by us and one from the Ports, but the blatant time-wasting by Miskelly and the rest of the Ports team went unpunished.

Try as they might, it was hopeless cause for United and they were left to think what may have been. The ref didn't cover himself in glory it has to be said, but he wasn't solely responsible for our defeat, he contributed to it. In the first half we got a free-kick about 30 yards from goal and the a Ports player broke before Cush took it short to Tony, but the ref let it go, typical or what? I tried to clap the players off, but some, including my friend were too intent on barracking Fergie, with shouts of 'resign and your times up', reluctantly I have to agree with them!

Dwayne (7), Jimer (6), Steeky (6), Paddy Mac (5) (Sub: Ally 6,), JT (6), Thommo (6), Jenks (5), Tony (6), Tippers (6), Cush (6), Cutch (5) (Sub: Darboy 7,)

Man of the match: Darboy