Point(s) Taken!

For the second game in a row we committed daylight robbery, well basically it was night-time robbery to be precise, but you know what I mean. We should have been dead and buried by halftime, but despite several openings and a Lino that looked blinded by the setting sun, missing several blatant offsides, including their goal, the teams were level at halftime. Our manager discarded his policy of never changing a winning team by making, five changes and one positional change.

Out went Tony, Steeky, Thommo, Ally and Cush, in came Ruddy, Paddy Mac, Maca, Captain Jenks and top scorer Tippers. Jimer moved from sweeper to rightback in place of Tony who dropped to the bench, alongside, Ally, Steeky, Thommo and Matty. United lost the toss, but I think they would have wanted to play defending our favourite goals at the Fisherwick end in the first half anyway. Point showed they meant business by attacking the hesitant Sky Blue defence from the off.

The game was 4 mins late of getting under-way, whether that was to do with referee Raymond 'Dick head' Crangle, losing his make-up, is anybody's guess. As I say the Point started on the attack and their pacey right-winger (number 19, hereafter known as Teen), exposed Mike Ruddy's lack of pace, but out sprinting him and getting in an a cross that the United defence stood and looked at. He repeated the dose five mins later and it should have led to the first goal, but the ace predator Daniel Hughes, hereafter called Dingo, missed with a free header.

Little was seen of United in attack as they couldn't string two passes together and Point defenders won every high ball that we punted up field. We were 'backs to the wall' defending and when we got the ball, we gave it away again, like a hot potato. The no-nonsense defending by the visitors didn't help our cause and when we won a free kick about 25 yards from goal, Crangle showed his bias, by counting out 9 and a half paces for the Point defensive wall.

Gawley took the free, but it bounced off the wall and fell to Maca but his cross was behind the goal. The speedy players in the Point side meant United fullbacks Jimer and Ruddy, were being exposed time and time again. I was amazed we held out as long, but in 29 mins our defence was breached. We were on the attack and we lost possession and the ball was played on to Dingo clearly offside, but the Lino was obviously blinded by the sun and his flag stayed down.

As Hughes advanced on goal, Tall spread himself and despite getting a touch to the ball, it found the back of net to give the visitors a deserved lead. Tall was called into action again, when the United defence was breached for a second time as the Lino's flag stayed down and Tall dived at the feet of Teen and recovered to grab the ball before Dingo could get a touch. A minute later United got a lifeline with a well worked goal of their own.

From a nice bit of play in midfield, between Maca and Jimer, Sparky found acres of space on the right wing and from his low cross, Tippers slotted the ball past the Point keeper, to tie the scores at one apiece. The Point almost restored their lead when a snap shot by Dingo, was palmed away by Tall for a corner, but thankfully United held out to halftime and the teams went in level for their halftime cuppa and I'm sure the United manager was pleased with the score, even if the performance was not good.

2nd half
The second was a near carbon copy of the first half with United repeatedly giving the ball away as if they were inviting the visitors to score. This can be summed up with several free kicks the Sky Blues won near the halfway line. JT, played the ball to Jenks he played back to JT, who promptly gave it away to the the visitors. I know its not pretty to hump the ball up field, but its better than surrendering possession to the other team. Tall was called on time and time again and he got a little bit of luck when he parried the ball after a shot by Dingo, but Jimer was on hand to clear it off the goal-line.

In a breakaway attack United won a free kick after a deliberate handball by a Point player (no booking by Dick head Crangle, surprise, surprise), on the right wing. From Gawley's superb free kick, Paddy Mac was unlucky not to break his United scoring duck, as his header came off the bar with the Point keeper nowhere. Tippers couldn't get the rebound on target as he shot harmlessly over the bar. This was almost Paddy Mac's last involvement in the game as he succumbed to injury and had to come off to be replaced by Tony.

The game changed at this point when the visitors made a substitution also, replacing the tricky Devlin with Smith. Tony, who had taken up the rightback position when Jimer moved to the centre of defence, began to dictate the United attacks, with winger Gawley. From an Incisive pass by Tony, the Barber took the ball in and crossed rather than shot, but nobody could get on the end of it. Sparky came off to be replaced by Thommo and we were in full attacking mode then.

Spike made his last sub with Steeky replacing Ruddy, who looked displeased and United continued to attack up the right wing. With time running out the United strikers fashioned a goal to break the Point's players hearts, when Tippers found room on the right wing and from his cross, Darboy glanced a header past the Point keeper to give United a lucky 2-1 lead. To their credit the visitors tried to get back on terms, but despite United continuing to give the ball away, they couldn't find a way past Tall Tim, who took the 'man of match' plaudits yet again.

Despite Dick head Crangle adding on at least 4 mins , United held out for victory, a victory that would seemingly mean that the Point are going to have to play the runners-up in the Championship, as they seem doomed to finish in 11th position in the league table. United not only got the win, but they moved up to seventh in the league table as our dear friends down the A26, lost to Dungannon and the win keeps United focused on the magic 50 points mark, with 3 games to go!


Tall (8), Jimer (6), Ruddy (5) (Steeky 6,),JT (5), Paddy Mac (6) (Sub: Tony 8,), Gawley (7), Sparky (7) (Sub: Thommo 6,), Jenks (6), Maca (7), Tippers (8), Darboy (7)

Man of the match: Tall