So Near!

Buckets (8), O Kane (7), Jimer (7), JT (6), Steeky (7)(Sub: Hanley 63mins 7,), Gavin (6)(Sub: Matty 70mins 7,), Thommo (8), T Kane (7), Faulkner (6)(Sub: Nixon 106mins 6), Cush (7), Jenks (7). Subs (not used): Paddy Mac and Darhen.

Man of the match: Buckets Blaney

Referee: Andy Hunter 3


United came so near to beating Linfield/IFA yesterday at the National Stadium, but in extra-time, when they needed to change their tactics they were still playing a holding game. They had finished the stronger in the ninety mins, but remarkably when Linfield's Smith was rightly dismissed for a second booking with a brutal tackle on Cush, United didn't take advantage of their extra man.

They continued to let Linfield control the pace of the game and I remarked to a fellow supporter, that United and not Linfield looked short of a player. Maybe Linfield professionalism came to the fore, but in extra-time, there was only one team in it and it was not the Sky Blues. Indeed some of the talk among fans was that United were holding out for penalties.

I don't think this was the case, I think in truth they were exhausted and had nothing more to give, in short they were 'dead' on their feet, they had given their all in normal time. Referee, Andy Hunter, had a typical game officiating for the IFA, he booked two United players in the first half, not for bad tackles and let Linfield away with questionable tackles to say the least.

In the absence of Gareth Rodger, captain Jimer, moved to sweeper, Owen Kane, to rightback and Gavin got a start in midfield. Young Stewarty Nixon dropped to the bench, replaced by none other Willie Faulkner, who was supposed to out with a broken elbow, but he played 106 mins so he must be a quick healer, it usually takes up to six weeks for a break to heal.

Linfield looking to get the game over early laid siege to United's goal early on but they found Buckets (Blaney), in magnificent form and he was a steadying rock in United's defence. Willie, managed to get in a cross for us in the midst of Linfield attacking, but found nobody there to apply the finishing touch to his ball across the box.

United were attacking the end where the Kop used to be but now like the rest of the National Stadium, looks like a building site, which it is. Where the South stand used to be, there is new seating. I cannot fathom why we were not allowed to use that instead of being stuck in the Railway stand, no doubt knowing the IFA, they'll be some illogical reason for it.

But I digress, from a Linfield corner a Millar shot was blocked and then from another corner, Heggarty could only hit the post, a dreadful miss. United almost made the hosts pay for this indiscretion when they won a corner themselves, taken by Tony. This was headed out for another corner which fell to Cush, but his shot was off-target, a half chance gone.

From a Linfield free-kick, Quinn, cleared the 'wall' but also the crossbar and Buckets, had it covered I think. Linfield continuing to batter the United defence and Waterworth, picked up a hurried clearance from Captain Jimer, but he bleanged his shot over the bar. In a rare United attack Thommo, shot from about 25 yards, but didn't trouble Glendenning in the Linfield goal.

Two mins later JT, became the first player to be booked by the ref, when he had his shirt pulled, but Andy dismissed his protests and seemed to say that was for persistent fouling, but what about Linfield's persistent fouling, that was another story. Then United won a free-kick but Cush shot over from Tony's rolled pass.

Linfield continuing to control the pace of the game and I though surely we need a change of tactics or even a change of personnel to see if we could get something going in attack. Gavin, was the next United man to find his way into ref Hunter's book, if was a foul it was a soft one, but Andy was on a roll now and his adrenalin seemed to be overflowing.

Linfield continued to break up United's play, with questionable tackles to say the least, but there wasn't even a warning from Andy and they continued on their merry way. Despite a spell of Linfield pressure, United held out to halftime and I thought foolishly as it turned out that Spike, would make a change at the interval.


2nd half

It was no surprise when United took the field with the same team and they went straight on the attack, the ball fell to Owen Kane, but he delayed his shot and Linfield got a questionable tackle in, Andy, never flinched and went on the attack themselves. A cross from the left took a deflection off a United defender and fell to Waterworth, about 12 yards form goal and from his rising shot, Buckets, got a hand to it but was unable to keep it out.

Not for the first time this season, United had been undone when their attack broke down and there has be something tactically wrong in our defending when this can happen so often. Despite a spell of Linfield pressure, United got their act together and when Steeky was chopped down by Callaher, who became the first home player to be booked, Tony's free kick was headed wide by Cush.

Hanley, came on to replace Steeky and United upped the pace and got their reward, when after a corner was only partially cleared, Tony's low cross was deflected off a Linfield player and Ward headed it clear but only to Thommo, who headed United level,1-1. Smyth, was booked for a foul on Thommo and then we had a bizarre performance form ref Hunter.

He lined the Linfield wall ten yards from the free-kick and Tony, ran over the ball and a player broke from the Linfield, and nearly collided with Cush who had stopped. Surely I thought Andy, has to book the Linfield player who was two yards form Cush, but he ticked off the United players, for delaying the game, the mind boggles.

They repeated the dose a second time and the same player broke before the kick was taken, but this time Cush, got his shot in, but he could only find the 'wall' and the player escaped a second time, biased or what. With 20 mins left young Matty, replaced Gavin and I thought we were going to play 4,4,2, but Jenks dropped back, leaving Matty,the lone attacker.

I think this was a mistake on our manager's part, we were in the ascendency at this stage of the game and we still continuing to flood our midfield instead of working the Linfield defenders. Hanley, who was on Linfield's books, almost snatched a goal when he had two goal-bound efforts saved by blocks, one of them off the goal-line.

Matty, was putting the Linfield defenders under pressure with his pace, but he needed someone up with him, but Spike, dithered and he had to go it alone. He almost dispossessed Blues keeper Glendenning, forcing him to conceded a throw-in. From a long throw by Tony, Jenks nodded on, but the chance was cleared and the ref blew for fulltime.

Extra-time.

United appeared to lose the toss for the second time, as Linfield decided to attack the Railway end in the first-half and their favourite Kop goals in the second period. Linfield made a telling substitute at this stage, with Guy Bates coming on, the United manger reacted to this by taking off Willie and replacing him with Nixon.

Bates, was causing havoc in the United defence and had two shots saved by Blayney. United picked up two bookings in as many minutes, Cush and Thommo and then as Cush, cleared the ball, he was the subject of an horrendous tackle by Smith. I thought this warranted a red card, but Andy flourished the yellow, followed by the Red.

Surely I thought United would up the pace at this turn of events but they still continued to let the hosts dictate the pace of the game, packing midfield, instead of going to all-out attack. United managed to force a corner, from a shot by Jenks, but form this corner, Glendenning Clutched the ball and sent it down field where it fell to Millar.

Millar, was hugging the touchline and United Captain Jimer, had a chance to close him down, but he didn't and the winger had the time to look up and find Bates who fired the hosts to a 2-1 lead with a barely a minute to go. There was no way back for United and in an ironic twist of fate they had been undone by another counter-attack.

Disaster struck for United a minute later, when JT, reacted to a tackle by Bates and seemed to threaten to grab him and Bates, took a dive and ref Hunter couldn't get the red card out quick enough and Bates got off with his bluff. That was the last straw as far as United were concerned and the ref brought proceddngs to a halt a minute later.

United had given it their best shot, but they not for the first time this season or any season since Spike, took over the reins, had been undone with the quick counter-attacking of the opposition. Now if we had a player who cold sit in front of the defence and ensure that rarely happens, who knows what the future could hold.....!