Goal Drought!

Buckets (6), Tony (6), Jimer (6), Kyley (6), Steeky (6), Gavin (6)(Sub: O Kane 72mins 6,), Thommo (6), Frazer (7), Leroy (6)(Sub Willie 59mins 6,), Jenks (6), Darhen (6) (Sub: Tippers 56mins 5,). Subs (not used): Fergie and Mike 3rd.

Man of the match: Fraser

Referee: Heth 3


Hows does the song go? Tell me the old, old story, if memory serves correctly. It sums up United's pathetic attempts at scoring goals at the Oval yesterday. Glentoran had raced into a two goal lead, via a doubtful penalty and a defensive failure to close down a a player (Caldwell), who ran at our defence, but we were still well in the game, but we needed to score.

But like last weeks dreadful display against the Coleraine scum, we never looked like scoring, not even when Darhen got a a bit room to shoot, but his effort cannoned off the legs of Glens keeper, Elliot Morris, who was making his 600th appearance for the host club, so I will allow that wee bit of luck, which denied us a foothold in the game.

With JT, free from suspension Spike, sprung a surprise when he started Kyley, in place of Paddy Mac, who was sick. He also dropped top-scorer Cush and gave a rare start to Darhen and Thommo, who replaced Owen Kane, He also ignored our pleas to start with two strikers and persisted with his ploy of playing Jenks, out of position and its not working.

Jenks hasn't the instincts of a striker and I think he won one ball in the air all day, mainly not timing his jumps and making him easy meat for the Glens defence. The Lino at our side of the pitch had already missed two offsides and a short goal-kick from the home team that didn't quite made out of the penalty box, but his flag stayed down.

So it came as no surprise when Glens striker Smith, broke into the box and Captain Jimer, slid the ball back to keeper Buckets, that this Lino gave a penalty. Immediately nearly all of the United players were up in arms and went and remonstrated to the Lino and referee Heth, but to no avail, the penalty stood.

As usual Buckets, chose to dive, to his right this time and Smith hit his penalty straight down the middle to give his team a fortuitous one goal lead,1-0. Most teams when faced with this adversity, up their game, but alas not United. This goal came in the 9th minute and 12 minutes later the United defenders short-comings were exposed again.

With a neat bit of play, Caldwell weaved his way towards our box and Captain Jimer, had a chance to close him down and stuck out a leg, which Caldwell, easily avoided before rifling a shot into the net past the hapless Buckets. In between these two goals, Smith looked to be fouled when getting an off-target shot in, but no penalty was given this time.

Buckets, dropped a cross and Jimer, came to his rescue with a block . Leroy, had our first shot, but he missed the target as he attempted to curl his shot past Morris and then Darhen, could only shoot at Morris's legs, when he looked odds-on to score. The United defence went asleep again and Magee's header form a corner, just missed the target and the ref's halftime whistle couldn't come soon enough for me.

2nd half
Unsurprisingly the Sky Blues came out with no changes to their starting line-up and without their manager, who was rumoured to have attacked the officials at halftime, pity he couldn't transfer this aggression to his team of misfits. United managed to fashion a chance less than five mins into the half, but as usual they couldn't take advantage of it.

For the first time in the game, on-loan signing Johnny Fraser, got past his marker and slotted the ball to Darhen. He in turn scuffed the ball goalwards and a Glens defender did the same, but Morris dived on the spinning ball to keep the scores the same. Later on Fraser, bore down on goal before hitting a shot over the bar, what a waste.

Then our management team decided to act and brought off Darhen and brought on veteran Tippers, a striker for a striker and 3 mins later Leroy made way for Willie (Faulkner), who took up Leroy's place in left-midfield. The Glens seemed to be holding on at this stage and Heth had to flourish the yellow card on at least three occasions to the home team.

When united won two corners in succession taking by Tony, then they won a free-kick about 25 yards from goal and Heth, marched out the ten yards, but with his short steps it was only about 8 yards. Tony, managed to get his free-kick round the wall, but Morris saved easily.
Then Fraser played the ball to Willie and he blasted over, the miss of the match as far as I was concerned.

Fraser, burst into the box and Morris, blocked the wingers shot, before taking him out with his follow-up, a definite penalty I thought, but when the dust had settled, Heth gave a bounce ball and Fraser didn't have to come off after receiving treatment from our physio. Maybe Heth didn't want to send Morris off in his 600th appearance and he ignored the foul as he does most times.

Gavin, had to come off injured with less than twenty minutes to go, to be replaced by Owen Kane, but it was the Glens who looked likely to score, when Buckets made a hash of a high ball and Smith, could only strike the post and later on he missed with a free header. Despite 4 mins of added time, United couldn't reduce the leeway.

With the clock ticking down, Thommo, threaded the ball through the Glens defence, but Jenks, was unable to get to it before Morris, who dived at the former Captain's feet. United had succumbed to another punch-less defeat and in the process they lost any chance of a top six place barring a miracle and got deeper into the relegation mire, its definitely 'squeaky bums time' if I ever saw them!