Last Report!

The season that promised so,so,much, is finally over and we have nothing to show for it, except six wins on the trot, against lower league sides it should be said. But if truth be told, any season that we finish above the Coleraine scum, isn't all bad, in fact its fairly good. In the process we won six games in a row, for the first time since the first half of the '69 season and I remember in that season we beat the scum away 6-1 and in the return match at the Showgrounds 5-0 and finished below them in the league table, damn and blast, exit stage left.

United manager Spike made four changes from his starting line-up of last Saturday, out went Tall Tim, JT, Gawley and Tippers. In came Dwayne, Cookie, Maca and Captain Jenks. On his last appearance for the club Cookie, was made team Captain and he won the toss and decreed we should play our 'favourite way' in the first half, attacking the Farm Lodge end and having the advantage of the strong breeze in the first half to boot. We lined up for a 4,4,2, formation, with Captain Jenks upfront with Darboy, I admit I was surprised to see Tippers missing.

United took a long time to come to grips with the strong wind in their favour and despite winning several free-kicks in the first half, they invariably drifted harmlessly to Swifts keeper Coleman, who plucked them out of the air. But Darboy was unlucky not to give us the lead with the first real effort on goal, when he lobbed Coleman, only for a defender to get back and nod the ball over from a seemingly impossible angle. Cush was elected to take the corner and he delivered a gem and United took the lead with a goal accredited to our Captain.

When the ball came across, Tony appeared to flick it goalwards and it ended up in the back of the net, but who got the final touch I couldn't say, but Jenks got the credit and who am I to say different. United almost increased the lead soon after this, when a Coleman clearance ricocheted of Darboy, but unfortunately for the ex-Coleraine man it cleared the bar, but only just. Little was seen of the visitors in the first half, but they did come close, when a header beat Dwayne, but the crossbar saved us and ended up by being a goal-kick.

Then it was United's turn again when Darboy chased a long clearance by Dwayne, got the better of his marker and with the goal at his mercy, he shot wide, a horrendous miss, it should have been 2-0. Then on the stroke of halftime, Cush delivered another gem of a corner, and Cookie's header was brilliantly saved by Coleman at the expense of a corner. This corner was taken by Maca, but it wasn't as good as Cush's and the Swifts were able to clear.

There was an unsavoury incident involving Sanusi earlier, when he went in high on Cush, but referee Ross Dunlop merely talked to the Swifts player and Omar mused that the ref hadn't brought any cards with him or he was intent of not issuing any, in view of it being the last game of this season. Cookie, who seemed to dislocated his finger, gave us all a few laughs and drew our sympathy at the same time, when he purposely looked away, with the doctor trying to relocate his finger, a sore finger is a sore thing, but a sore thing.......I digress.

2nd half
The Swifts let their intentions be known in the second half with a shoot on sight policy early on, but despite a few anxious moments the United defence, ably led by Jimer once again, held firm. Dwayne had to react quickly when a shot, clipped the heel of a Swifts player and looked to be going in, but luckily Dwayne got back to save it and prevent a goal. The Swifts had another shot just wide and Cush saw a volley finish the wrong side of the post.

Then we had another funny incident when after a collision between Captain Jenks and Coleman, the keeper's boot came off and Alan replaced it and tied his laces in the process, versatile or what our Captain, proving if proof be needed, that's he's definitely fit to tie anybody's laces.

Maca was struggling to make an impact and Omar remarked that Spike needed to make a change, but his opposite number Darren Murphy, who played for both clubs, acted first by bring on Douglas and Glacken and taking off McMaster and Sanusi. Douglas nearly repaid his managers faith in him, when Dwayne was at full-stretch, to punch his free-kick over the bar. At last Spike acted but in a surprise move he took off Darboy and brought on youth team player, Stewart Nixon. Four mins later he brought on Gawley for Maca and we started to look menacing.

Young Nixon didn't disgrace himself and he nearly got on the score-sheet in one flowing move, but he was foiled by a handball, but no penalty was given. At the other end Ruddy picked up a booking for a heavy challenge, but it wasn't as vicious as Sanusi's earlier in the game and it went unpunished. This time the free-kick sailed harmlessly over the bar, much to the relief of our defenders. With Gawley and Tony combining down our right flank, to carve out openings we looked dangerous. From one cross despite Cush having his first effort charged down, he got to the rebound, but it was straight at Coleman.

With United manger Spike, getting Kyley McVey ready to replace Cookie, United delayed the process when we won a free-kick, courtesy of young Nixon. Cush's curling free-kick was brilliantly saved by Coleman. In added time we got a few long throws and Davey had to be up for them and he collided with Coleman in the Swifts goal. Much as Captain Jenks had done in the earlier in the  half, but this time Coleman's boot didn't come off and he was able to clear the ball.

At last Spike brought on Kyley to replace Cookie and he came off to a standing ovation, well deserved I think for a man who had scored our goal in the County Antrim Shield final and scored the goal that took us to the league cup final. But he was a man that gave his all to the cause, he made mistakes, but he strove to rectify them and he didn't let the bad times rule his life, he concentrated on the good things, no quarter asked or given, an old style defender, he'll be sadly missed, in my opinion.

The Swifts won a corner deep in added time, but luckily we survived and when Ruddy cleared the ball the ref blew his final whistle and brought the curtain down on our season. I wondered how many of the players in that team would be there next season, for our manager was saying that some of them wouldn't be there come August. Is it the end of the line for the versatile Sparky and the long serving Archie? Watch this space and we will endeavour to keep you up to date and for the last time this season, come on Sky Blues!

Dwayne (8), Tony (8), Ruddy (8), Jimer (8), Cookie (8) (Sub: Kyley 7,), Maca (6) (Sub: Gawley 7,), Sparky (6), Thommo (7), Cush (8), Darboy (6) (Sub: Nixon (7), Jenks (7)

Man of the match: Davey 'Cookie' Munster