Clinical United!

Dwayne (8), Jimer (8), Kyley (8), JT (8), Ruddy (8), Faulkner (8), Tony (8), Gavin (8), Barber (8) ( Sub: Millar 85mins 7), Jenks (8), Cushley (8). Subs not used: Maggers, O. Kane, Steeky and Matty.

Man of the match: Kyley

Referee: Andy Davey 4


What a difference 10 days make as the Sky Blues, so benevolent in front of goal at Mourneview Park, against Glenavon, on Saturday 17 October, were so clinical in front of goal last night at Seaview.  It should been more and I'd love to see what United had a goal disallowed for, when home player Robinson headed past the Crues keeper, Ogre O'Neil. The ref, Andy Davey, not only gave Crues a free-kick, but yellow carded United player Jenks, for good measure.

The floodlights at Seaview are a joke and there seemed to be only half of them on, which doesn't add to the enjoyment, when you have to skelly to see what's happening. United must have come to terms with playing on the 3g surface that is Seaview, for they coped well with the conditions, none more so than Kyley, as he marshalled Chicken Owens, superbly, thereby snuffing out the Crues danger-man.

But it was all-round performance from the Sky Blues and everybody played their part, including Dwayne, who kept a clean sheet for the second game running. United manager Spike, made three changes from his starting line-up of last Saturday, two forced upon him with Tippers, one game ban for his sending-off last Saturday and Thommo who had to come off injured in that game also.  He recalled Ruddy at leftback and that in turn released Captain Jimer to rightback.

 Tony, moved to centre-midfield with Gavin, recalled also as his partner and the Barber got a rare start, as young Matty, dropped down to the subs bench. As forecast in Sky Blue Sport Spike, decided to go with no recognised strikers with Cush and Jenks upfront and it worked a treat, as it seemed to unsettle the Crues defenders to my way of thinking. Darhen, didn't even make the bench, which was made up of young Matty, Owen Kane, Maggers, Leroy Millar and Steeky.

United started at a whirlwind pace and Cush had shot diverted round the post by Ogre, after barely a minute had elapsed. With United attacking the Railway end, I could barely see the far goalmouth, the floodlights are so abysmal, so I don't know if it was a real chance or not. We won two corners in quick succession, but the Crues survived, but only just. Little was seen of the Crues as an attacking force, then they won a fortuitous free-kick, but it came to nothing.

With ten mins on the clock, Cush played in Jenks, but the big Scot, shot hurriedly and bleanged it over the bar, instead of picking his spot or troubling Ogre. With a quarter an hour gone, the Crues almost snatched the lead, when Owens, beat Kyley to a high ball and headed down for Heatley, but Dwayne saved Heatley's shot and hurt himself as he collided with the goalpost. Luckily he was able to continue after treatment as we don't carry a keeper on  our subs bench.

Crues tried to gain a foothold in the match, but were frustrated by the no-nonsense defending of the Sky Blues and a wee bit of luck, when JT managed to get his head to a goal-bound shot from Burns, to divert it for a corner. With half an hour gone, Cush, sent a half-volley from 30 yards in on goal and it thundered off the underside of the bar with Ogre, standing transfixed. The rebound fell to Jenks, but Crues defender, Coates, blocked Jenks shot for goal.

Then Tony tried a shot from distance, but Ogre saved easily, although the ball fell from his grasp, but no United man was anywhere near and he recovered the ball. Chicken Owens missed a glorious chance to give his team the lead, when Dwayne parried a shot from Heatley, which fell kindly into Owens path, but he missed the target from inside the box. Five mins later United made the Crues pay for this benevolence in front of goal, when Jenks was played through the middle.

Crues defender Robinson, got back to head back to Ogre, but unknowing to him, Ogre, had left his goal and the ball sailed into the empty net, but the ref disallowed the goal and booked Jenks in the process. I think Jenks, was the innocent party in this incident and Ogre, crashed into his own man and he had to be substituted as he was unable to continue. But the ref thought otherwise and disallowed the goal, certainly a miscarriage of justice in my book.

This stroke of luck seemed to give the Crues a bit of impetus and with the aid of the ref, pulling United up for ghost fouls, they subjected us to some pressure. But United survived this scare and went in at halftime feeling cheated as the ref had disallowed a perfectly good goal and Jenks, was booked, wrongly to my way of thinking, but the ref is boss and he controls the game as he sees fit, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth.

2nd half
The game had been late of starting and the first half was over about 8-33 and the Crues, as befits a team outplayed as they were in the first-half, were back out  a good five mins before United came back out. United were fast out the blocks again and Jenks was ruled offside, but he seemed to be in his own half when the ball was played to him. Then Crues had a chance, but the Chicken headed straight to Dwayne, who saved easily.

Ten mins into this half United took the lead, when after Cush, had lost the ball initially, two United former players, Craig McClean and Ogre, combined to set up the chance. McClean, under pressure from the Barber decided to play the ball to Ogre, on the left flank. Ogre ballooned the ball up in the air and Cush shrugged off his marker and planted a right-foot shot in the empty net to give United a 1-0 lead.

The United fans were delirious and even Omar managed to touch Cush's hand as he celebrated with his adoring fans as he ran along the touchline. Five mins later, Tony, picked the ball up about 25 yards out and gave Ogre, no chance with a screamer, a contender for the goal of season and doubled United's  lead,2-0. JT, was booked for a foul on Mitchell of Crues who had to be replaced by Snoddy. Dwayne got down well to save from this free-kick and Snoddy, headed past the post from a corner 2 mins later.

Tony, then tried to curl another shot past Ogre, but it was not as good as his goal and Ogre, saved easily. O'Carroll, was replaced by Forsyth, who won a corner, but the United defence stood firm. Despite a lot of pressure our players held held out and Spike, brought on Leroy, for the Barber, with 6 mins to go. It seemed a brave move, with the Crues chasing the game, but Leroy repaid the gaffers faith in him near the end.

As Leroy picked ran to a pass in his own half  after 89 mins, he sprinted up the left wing and supplied a sublime cross which Tony, side-footed into the net, only to have the Lino rule it out for offside. I fail see how Tony, could be offside, for he was behind the play and Leroy's  pass was square and on the money. Try as they might the Crues could not breech the United defence and the referee's whistle brought rapturous applause from the Sky Blue faithful, we had slain the Lion in its den, bring on the 'gers!