Stute Downed!

There 's an old saying, 'it never rains but it pours' and I think that adage could be used to sum up Institutes's feeling about United's victory, by the score of 2-1. Both United's goals were a tad fortunate, to say the least and the only goal scored by the home side, was a cracker. For the second game in a row, Glenn made five changes to his starting line-up and one positional change. Out went Ruddy, Paddy Mac, Gawley, Sparky and Maca. In came Tony, Steeky, Thommo, Ally and Cush and Jimer switched to sweeper and Tony switched to rightback.

Our bench was made up of Sparky, Maca, Matty, Gawley and the returning Kyley McVey, back from a long spell of injury, welcome back Kyley. The Sky Blues (playing in Black because 'Stute play in Sky Blue also), started off like an express train and I thought they we had won a penalty, with barely a minute gone as Thommo, on a typical run, had been chopped down by defender Crown. It looked well inside the box, but ref Stephen Hughes adjudged it was outside.

In a well rehearsed move, Tony teed up the ball for Cush and his left-foot shot just grazed the crossbar, a lucky let-off for  the home team. I thought the keeper had got a hand to it, but it was ruled a goal-kick, by the officials and they were in a better position to judge than me. Our manager had again tried Captain Jenks and Thommo as his central midfield pairing and the home team started to get inroads into our last line of defence.

But they could not fashion an opening, with our defence being led by example of Jimer, who really looks at home as sweeper and he managed to get a run up field and a shot midway through the half, versatile or what. United nearly broke the deadlock from a corner taken by Ally, as a clearing header was returned by JT, but straight into the arms of keeper Wilson. Cush had another free kick, diverted for a corner and then Darboy challenged the keeper to a high ball and he fumbled the ball but was able to recover before United could take advantage of his mistake.

With less than five minutes of the first-half remaining the deadlock was finally broken, when from a corner taken by Tony, the ref awarded a penalty, for push on United's top scorer, Tippers. Penalty King Ally, stepped up to bury the ball in the back of net, to the keepers left and give United a deserved lead but a fortuitous one in my book. United have scored a penalty in each of the four meetings with Stute this season, surely must be a record I would have thought.

United's lead didn't last long and on the stroke of halftime, the home team managed to get in a telling cross in. I think Tony was caught out of position and winger Young, found a bit of space and his cross was headed towards goal by the unmarked Curry, despite Tall Tim's full stretch efforts to keep it out, it went into the net off the inside of the post. This goal seemed to rock United back on their heels, but luckily there was only a minute to go before halftime and they held out to go in level at one apiece.

2nd half

United regained the lead five minutes after the restart, when a great bit of play by Darboy, saw him lob the ball up over a Stute defender with his back to goal and he then managed to get a cross in and Captain Jenks header seemed to take a deflection off a defender and end up in the back of net. I thought that Jenks had fouled the Stute defender, but ref Hughes gave the goal and it gave United the lead by 2-1.

I thought rather foolishly, that our manager would make some changes and pack the midfield area, in a 'what we have we hold' type of situation but he continued with his bold attacking formation of Jenks and Thommo in centre-midfield.  Stute seized the opportunity and started to get inroads into the United defence and Jimer had to be alert to head one effort for a corner. Then a Curry shot from a tight angle was saved by Tall, as Stute stepped up the pace.

With 16 mins gone in the second period, United got a lucky break when a header by Curry I think, bounced off the inside of the post with United's defenders at sixes and sevens. Surely our manager would now act and get on some cover, but in 71 mins Cush came off to be replaced by Maca, like for like. As luck would have it, exactly a minute later United got a free kick in the centre-field, just outside the 'D' and in the absence of Cush, Tony was elected to take the kick.

Tony's fierce free-kick was beaten out by keeper Wilson, but Tippers was on hand to knock in the rebound, only to be adjudged offside and the score remained 2-1 in United's favour. That was more or less Tippers last part in the game as he was subbed two mins later with young Matty Shevlin taking his place. It didn't take long for Matty to make an impact and keeper Wilson was able to parry the young strikers attempt when he looked clean through.

Maca managed to get a cross in a few mins later, but with the goal at his mercy, Matty blazed over the bar from inside the six-yard box. Then with less than ten mins left, Matty missed again when he latched onto a pass, but he volleyed wide, instead of working the keeper. The United manger finally woke up and took off Thommo and brought on Sparky to see us through to the end of game.

In the 90th minute Matty,  went down injured and as he we had used our three permitted substitutes we finished the game with ten men. United managed to hold out in added time although there were some nervous moments, but justice was done in the end I think, but Stute will no doubt feel aggrieved, with the manner of which it was achieved. So next up for United is a home game to the Ducks where we hope to continue on our winning ways,COSB!


Tall (7), Tony (7), Steeky (7), Jimer (8), JT (7), Cush (6) (Sub: Maca7,), Thommo (7) (Sub: Sparky 6,), Jenks (7), Ally (7), Tippers (6) (Sub: Matty 6,), Darboy (8)

Man of the match: Jimer