Early Presents!

Blayney (5), Jimer (6), Paddy Mac (5), JT (5), Steeky (5), Faulkner (7), Tony (6), Thommo (7), Cush (6) (Sub: Ferguson 90+3mins 6,), Jenks (6), Tippers (5) (Sub: Darhen 81mins (6)). Subs(not used): O. Kane, Ruddy and Kyley.

Man of the match: Thommo

Referee: Lee Tavinder 2


Christmas came early for Chickenville yesterday at Solitude, when the Sky Blues, porous defence presented them with 3 goals in 23 mins and it could've been worse. Obviously United manager, Spike, was oblivious to the fact, that his signing Alan Blaney, in the close season, is devoid of confidence and ignored the hash he made at Inver Park, with Larne's second goal, or was Dwayne Nelson injured?

We'll probably never know, I can't see Spike, holding his hands up and saying he made a mistake in his selection,I expect he'll blame the players as usual. From the moment Blaney, was lobbed after only 5 mins, I saw the writing on the wall and Blaney wasn't only one to blame for the goal. JT, had a chance to close Reds player McDaid down, but he let him have space and he fed Curran and he chipped Blaney. I thought Blaney, had it covered but he was wrongly positioned and we paid the price.

Spike, not for the first time, picked virtually the same team as did duty on Tuesday night, when the Sky Blues struggled to beat Championship 1 side Larne. Because of injury to on-loan defender, Rodger, Paddy Mac, got the call, he was obviously reluctant to give Kyley a run on the slick Solitude surface. kyley, finds it difficult to keep his feet at the best of times, never mind playing on an artificial surface, but he could have played Captain Jimer, at sweeper, but he chose to bring in Paddy.

Referee, Lee Tavinder, who I haven't seen before, had a stinker, booking six United players and the trainer was only on the field two times in the game. He missed a foul, after four minutes when Thommo, was guilty of a 'foot up' and a Chickenville player, Winchester had to be substituted, with Knowles, taking his place. The play was stopped for a good 2 mins, with the physio working on Winchester, but Lee, only added one minute on, ignoring the four goals that were scored in the first-half.

The substitution seemed to spur the home team on and when McDaid was allowed the freedom of the park, he found Curran with a back-heel and Curran found the net. Blayney appeared to have it covered, but incredulously the ball ended in the back of the net to give the Reds a 1-0 lead. Cush, had a shot in United's first attack, but it was easy for keeper Devlin. Donnelly, then missed from 10 yards as the home team continued to press, a let-off for United, but it only delayed the inevitable.

The home team won a throw-in in United's half on the left wing and as usual we didn't mark the thrower, McGovern and when he got the ball returned to him he found Curran, with a pass and he was allowed to cut into our box, before Faulkner was adjudged to have fouled him. Referee Lee, gave a penalty but didn't book Willie, which surprised me, if was a foul, he surely had to be booked, but Lee, obviously thought otherwise. McDaid, drove the penalty straight down the middle and Blayney, diving to his right, was made to look stupid.

United couldn't get anything going themselves and fell further behind, when Blayney, pulled Garret down as he chased a ball along the by-line. I thought the ref would send Blayney, off but it wasn't a goal-scoring opportunity and he escaped a booking as well. McDaid, didn't change his tactics as he slammed the spot-kick up the middle again as Alan, dived to his left this time. I feared for United at this stage, as our defenders were at sixes and sevens and the Reds seemed to be able to score at will.

Two mins later, JT headed a Cush, corner towards goal with the United players claiming it had crossed the line, but ref Lee, was unmoved. The ball was cleared to Faulkner and he caught it on the half-volley and beat Devlin, all ends up from 20 yards to reduce the deficit to 3-1. Could United get back in the game, I foolishly thought, it was going to monumental task and we needed a player to change the game, but Cush, our talisman was not having a good game and Jenks and Tippers were too slow to trouble the Reds back-line.

Tippers, had a chance to reduce the leeway even further, but his lob over the advancing Devlin, was over the bar, a chance gone begging, but United were beginning to get inroads into the match. But could they get another goal back before halftime in order to make a game of it, or did our manager have an ace up his sleeve, where he was going to make one or two telling substitutions and change the game and give our long suffering supporters some hope. The ref added only one minute of stoppage time at the end of the first-half, completely ignoring the four goals scored, at least 30 seconds for each goal, amateurish or what!


2nd half
United had a let-off five mins after the restart, when Curran, ran onto a through ball and beat Blaney, with a shot, but the ball struck the post and rebounded into the arms of Blaney. The Sky Blues had taken the field with no changes, obviously our manager was happy with team he had selected. Donnelly came close a minute later, but he screwed his shot wide and then United got a lifeline. With Darhen, the hero of Tuesday night's game at Larne, warming up on the touchline, Cush shot for goal, Devlin, parried the shot and Tippers, missed two attempts to reduce the leeway, but it luckily fell to Thommo and he volleyed the ball home to make the score 3-2.

This should have been a cue for Spike, to introduce Darhen, as it was obvious that Tippers, was feeling the rigours of Tuesday night's match, but he dithered and we paid the price. United were pressing and Faulkner, missed a chance, but he shot hurriedly and the chance went begging again. Then we had a bizarre incident when Devlin handled the ball outside his area, a sending-of offence, but Lee didn't even show a yellow card. Tony's free-kick was too long and we didn't make the most of this good fortune.

At last with 9 mins remaining, Spike, brought on Darhen, for Tippers, but I thought it was too late for Darhen, to make much of an impact. As it turned out it was the home team who tied up the points two mins later, when fullback Cosgrove, was allowed to go on a run unopposed and he found Knowles and he had the easy task of beating Blaney and leaving our defenders looking flat-footed and made the score 4-2 to the home team.

The Reds should have snatched another goal, when Garret, was left unmarked, but he headed wide with the goal at his mercy. Ref Lee, added on 3 mins this time, even though they had been no stoppages, only two subs and only two goals. Spike, made his last substitution, when he took off the hobbling Cush and brought on his son, Matthew, but the game was over and United had lost in a second league game after scoring two goals, but their defence was porous, again. That's 41 goals conceded in 19 matches a disgraceful record and something needs to be done pronto or we will pulled into a relegation battle, get your finger out, Spike!