Bloody Useless!

Dwayne (7), Tony (7), Kyley (7), JT (7), Jimer (7), Faulkner (5), Thommo (8) (Sub: Maggers 87mins, 6), Jenks (6), Cush (7), Tippers (6), Matty (6) (Sub: Darhen 77mins 6). Subs: (not used): Taggart, Ruddy, Gawley.

Man of the match: Thommo

Referee: D H Crangle, (2)


I make no apologies for my headline as the Sky Blues were useless when it came to converting goal chances. None more so than United's talisman, Cush, who could and should have went home with the match ball and then some. But he wasn't the only culprit, Jenks missed two sitters in the first -half and Tippers and Matty, missed another couple in the second-half. But the most depressing statistic of all was our corner-kick taking, they were also bloody useless.

We must have forced a dozen corners and except for two, we never got them past the first defender but Glenavon showed us how in the second-half when from their first corner they scored, but we should of had the points tucked safely away at that stage of the game. Why Spike, insists on selecting Faulkner, I' honestly don't know. When Tony was attacking down the right and looking for an outlet, Willie was inside, not on the wing, where you'd expect a wide player to be.

Willie, must have taken at least 8 corners and he only got two past the first defender and they were late in the game, when we were chasing the points. He played two short ones to Tony, who served up good chances but our forwards were in a benevolent mood and they refused to take them. I don't really understand Spike's change of tactics, of taking out-swinging corners, when we have Tony and Cush, two experts at dead-ball kicks and in-swinging corners, in the team.

Cush had a penalty saved by Glenavon keeper Tuffey, it was a good save, but I think Cush went for placement instead of power and the keeper guessed correctly and made a good save, but the keeper moved before the kick was taken. Oh how we miss Ally Taggart, we haven't got an ace penalty taker anymore, but Spike needs to find one and quick. United were quick out of the blocks and scored after only 12 mins, when Jenks cross to the far post was headed back across goal by Tippers, to the unmarked Cush, who headed United into the lead 1-0.

At that stage we were in the ascendency and Jenks should have scored when he got on the end of a Cush free-kick but with the left-side of Tuffeys goal at his mercy, he shot straight at the keeper. Not to be content with that, when he was presented with ball in the penalty area due to a mix-up in the hosts defence, he only could shoot straight at Tuffey once more. Little was seen of Glenavon in attack at this stage but the Lino at our side of the ground missed two blatant offsides, worrying to say the least.

With halftime approaching, Jenks pulled out of a 50/50 challenge with Kyle Neil and the he found Braniff and he found Hall on the right wing, with Bradley in a offside position. Hall bore down on goal and when Dwayne advanced he crossed to Bradley who scored and the Lino never flagged and Dick head Crangle, gave the goal much to the astonishment of the United fans. Surely if Bradley was in an offside position when the move started, he was in a offside position when he scored, but the goal stood.

Two mins later, after United had failed miserably to deal with a long throw-in, Lindsay, shot over the bar, a lucky let-off for United. Sammy, remarked at halftime, the fact that we were all over Glenavon in the first period, but yet they had got a lifeline near halftime and although the goal left a bad taste in the mouth, in that the Lino didn't flag for Bradley being offside and Neil went in studs up, which caused Jenks to pull out of the tackle at halfway, it didn't alter the fact, the hosts had pulled level with us and that we had let them get a foothold in the game.

2md half
Glenavon were quick out of the blocks at the start of the 2nd half  and D H Crangle was quick out of the blocks also, when he  yellow carded two United players in quick succession. Cush for a tackle, which paled into insignificance when compared to Neil's in the first-half, which went unpunished and Dwayne, for complaining when JT was elbowed by Bradley  and the ref did nothing and Glenavon nearly scored.

In between these two booking he also booked Neil, which added insult to injury in my mind after letting him away with that studs up challenge in the first-half. But United withstood this spell of pressure from the hosts and Tippers was unlucky to see a lob drop drop over the bar with Tuffey beaten all ends up. Thommo, who was having another good game in midfield, went on a typical run and found Cush with a gem of a cross, but with the goal at his mercy, Cush missed the target, a bad miss and one that was to cost us dear.

United continued to bombard the hosts goal and when a Matty shot was saved by an outstretched foot by Tuffey, Tippers shot the rebound for goal but it hit Kilmartin's  hand and the ref gave the penalty. I think this was a harsh decision, I've seen far more blatant penalties turned down and the Glenavon players were up in arms about this decision, so much so that Kilmartin, was yellow carded by D H Crangle. I later realised that this was all a subterfuge to ruffle the penalty-kick taker and sad to say it worked a treat.

As Tippers, had missed from the spot last time, Cush, took over the penalty kicking duties and Tuffey saved his spot-kick, so the gamesmanship had worked, bur TV replays showed Tuffey, was off his line long before the penalty kick was taken, but old D H, saw nothing and gave a corner kick, which came to nothing. Tippers, then shot straight at Tuffey and Cush had a header saved right on the line and I turned to Sammy and said that we were going to pay dearly for our benevolence in front of goal.

No sooner had I spoken these words when, Dwayne was forced into a double save from Hall and Bradley and then Spike acted and took off Matty, of all people and brought on Darhen. I couldn't for the life of me understand this sub, why take off a striker and bring on another striker. Surely if were wanting to win the game, he should have taken off Faulkner and brought on Darhen or the Barber, but he took our off one hope of unlocking the tight Glenavon defence.

Four mins later we were made to pay big time, when Glenavon won their first corner of the match and from Halls corner, Bradley was unmarked to head home past the stranded Dwayne. Two mins later it was United's turn to concede a penalty, when Patton's fierce shot struck Tony's  hand and D H gave the penalty. I thought this was harsh also, I don't think Tony was deliberately handling the ball, but we didn't do any gamesmanship, unlike Glenavon did earlier.

Dwayne, got a hand to Bradley's spot kick but he followed up to head home, but there were at least three Glenavon players in the box before the penalty was taken, but D H saw nothing, blind love-child that he is. To their credit United kept going to the bitter end and Cush was denied yet again, when Tuffey, saved with his feet when when it looked a certain goal. Thommo was subbed before the end and he seemed to take offence at some people among our fans. Maggers, replaced Thommo and he took over the corner kick taking duties, but he couldn't get past the first man, useless or what.

The game ended with Glenavon threatening to inflict further punishment on us, but we managed to survive, but only just.  At the end, Thommo, was continuing to harangue our fans and had to restrained by stewards. Sammy and me couldn't understand any of what was going on and couldn't understand some fans clapping the players off. They had played well, but they didn't take their chances and they had paid the penalty, quite literally and we were in  no mood to clap  them off, neither did we want to boo them, we just wanted to get out of there and we went home disappointed!