Genius Glenn!

Nelson (7), O. Kane (7), Hanley (6), Rodger (7), JT (8), Ferguson (6) (Sub Gawley 79mins 6,), Faulkner (6), Tippers (5) (sub Shevlin 65mins 8,), Darhen (6) (sub Millar 99mins 7,), Jenks (6), Cush (7), Subs (not used): McNally, Quigg.

Man of the match: JT

Referee: A. Burns 4

United manager Glenn 'Spike' Ferguson, proved he has at the Midas touch, by making two substitutions, one of them in extra-time, as his team got into the next round of the JBE sponsored league cup. Not only that, but he removed his number one strike force of Tippers and Darhen to make room for them, a bold move if I ever saw one. Firstly he brought on goal-scoring youngster, Matty (Shevlin), for the veteran Tippers, 20 mins into the 2nd half.

Then in the first period of extra-time, he subbed his other striker, Darhen, with the exciting prospect that is Leroy Millar and they delivered the goods, with Matty scoring two goals. Sandwiched between Matty's two goals, Owen Kane, playing in place of United's suspended, Captain Jimer, scoring a stunner with the outside of right foot, which beat the keeper all ends up. The United manager made four changes in all, three of them to his defence.

Out went the suspended Jimer, the injured Ruddy and Kyley and in came Owen Kane, JT and Hanley. The youngster, Matty, dropped down to the bench and Darhen got a rare start. United started brightly, playing some delightful football, but no finish. When they did manage to get in a shot at goal, they found Moyola's keeper, Farniok, hereafter called Farn, in top form as he pulled off save after save to frustrate the Sky Blues and keep his team in the tie.

The three officials sounding like a team of solicitors, Burns (ref), Wilson & Grabowski, controlled the game like any officials, really badly. It wasn't by any means a dirty match, but nevertheless, they were some tasty tackles and Cush was lucky, as he late tackled on a few occasions, but the ref wasn't going to book anyone in the first half. The United defence, superbly marshalled by JT, was hardly troubled early on and young Owen Kane, was having a good debut at rightback, but the hosts started to come into it near halftime.

But United survived and kept a clean sheet for only the second time this season in the first-half, the other time being in an away tie to Dungannon Swifts. Would we see Fergie make a change at halftime we wondered, it was obvious to us spectators that we needed to make a change, but not to our management, they decided to keep the same personnel on and United were out first out to do battle again in the second period, nervous or what?

2nd half
Disaster struck for United just 3 mins into this half, when Hanley, was beaten for pace by Chris Dowie, who broke into the box and he tackled him from behind, Dowie went down like a ton of bricks and the ref pointed to the spot and booked Nathan, for good measure. Not like last Friday's borderline decision, when United Captain Jimer was adjudged to have fouled and was subsequently sent-off, this was a definite penalty and Nathan deserved to be yellow carded.

Dowie, picked himself up and Dwayne was decidedly unlucky when he stopped the penalty, but could do nothing about Dowie's, follow up shot, to give the home team a 1-0 lead. United were up against now and Fergie got young Matty stripped and ready for action. But as usual it took some time to get him on, but eventually he came on, to replace Tippers, with 25 mins to go. At last we started to look menacing and ten mins after Matty came on, United conjuring up an equaliser.

But it took a bit of skill from defender, JT, to open up the home teams defence, when he went on a mazy run, deep in his own half and when his shot was blocked, Cush beat Farn, the ball finding the net via the post. Surely I thought United would up the pace and get an insurance goal and get into the next round, without having to endure extra-time and the dreaded penalty shoot-out. As if reading my thoughts, Glen took off his son, Matty and brought on the 'barber', Gawley.

The Barber was soon in the thick of the action, when his long-throw caused panic in the home defence, but United couldn't apply the finishing touch. The home weren't out of it by any means and they won a free-kick in a dangerous position, but the United defence survived. But we under the cosh, as the home team made one last ditch effort to clinch the tie in the 90 mins, but United held on and Moyola missed another glorious chance, when with last action of the half, they missed with a free header, from a corner, when the United defence were at sixes and sevens.

Extra-time:
United's superior fitness seen them through in the first period of extra-time, but not before Midas Fergie, made a telling substitution. He took off Darhen, who had missed with a header with over an hour gone, the ball striking the bar, when it looked easier to score and brought on Leroy Millar. This sub was made in the 99th minute and 2 mins later in a flowing move, Leroy fed his pal Matty and he gave Farn no chance from inside the box, to give United a 2-1 lead.

A minute or so later, Owen Kane, went on a mazy run, like JT had done earlier, cut inside and from 25 yards curled a right-foot shot beyond Farn to make the score 3-1 in United's favour. What a way to open your Sky Blue account, Sammy said and I had to agree with him, it was a magic goal, reminiscent of one Dessie Loughrey scored against Carrick Rangers all those years ago and there was no cameras to record this goal forever more, just like Dessie's.

Barely a minute later, a Moyola defender presented the ball to Matty and the youngster said thank-you very much and proceeded to slot in United's 4th goal and leave the hosts with a mountain to climb, the task proved impossible for them. But credit to them they kept on trying and United were content to play out the remainder of extra-time and not let them get a sniff of goal. The damage had been done in a 4 minute spell in the first period of extra, but boy weren't we put through the wringer, bring on the Glens and 'Come on Sky Blues'!