Aiden Liam?

The news from the Showgrounds is that there’s only one major doubt for tomorrow night’s game at home to Institute, kick-off 19-30ish. That doubt concerns midfielder Aiden Watson, who picked up a leg injury in the game against the ‘Scum’ on Monday. United have so many options open to them and we at ‘Sport would never try to second guess manager Tommy Wright. So it’s ‘perm any 11 from 16 for tomorrow night, when the league reaches the halfway stage against the Liam Beckett managed team. A win against the ‘Stute would mean United leapfrogging Newry and Cliftonville into fourth place for at least 17 hours. It would also put them within four points of third placed Portadown, who could only manage a home draw against Larne tonight. The point for the East Antrim men, coupled with their Boxing Day victory over Ards, sets up a fascinating encounter on New Years day, when United visit Inver Park. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here, let’s deal with the threat of Institute tomorrow night. The Drumahoe side have been a real ‘thorn in the flesh’ for United, especially at Ballymena, since their promotion from the Intermediate league. Former United supremo Kenny Shiels, famously or infamously (depending on your point of view), said United would do well against Institute, as they liked to play football. He was right, they did play football, only thing was they didn’t allow us to play any football and so gave us a bit of a lesson in our first ever encounter and on subsequent encounters. Current United manager Tommy Wright has no ‘hang-ups’ about the team playing football and will also hopefully have a plan to take care of the ‘Stute, tomorrow night. However, their manager, Liam Beckett, a regular visitor to Warden Street when commitments allow, will no doubt have a trick of two up his sleeve. So a fascinating encounter is in prospect and ‘Sport would urge all ‘true blue sheep shagging, dyed in the wool’ United fans, to be there, let’s have no silly excuses, your team needs you, ‘let’s shag those North Westerners!

Rory Glory!

United’s new management staff enter their first derby match with an almost fully fit panel of players, the only player missing being long term absentee Darren Fitzgerald (Fitzy), still recovering from a cruciate ligament injury. This would normally be a somewhat enviable position for a United manager to be in, we can’t remember Big Tam’s predecessor ever having that luxury, but then he invariably brought players back too quickly and that had a knock on effect. But we digress, the former Norn Iron keeper now must start to earn his wages, he somehow must manipulate us into sixth position in the league table over the next two games and as if that wasn’t enough, get us onto a points gathering run like he did at Limavady last season. A good surge up the league table, ‘coupled’ with a decent cup run and getting to the final of the County Antrim Shield, might just made the big man, more than just a gap filler. Any other scenario and the vultures will be circling and Tommy’s days at the ‘Paradise’ will we fear, be numbered. Rory Hamill, linked with a move to Portadown this week, a rumour hotly denied by the United management, needs to stand up and be counted against his former hometown club. Rory has the talent to ‘stand this game on its head’, but he has to really want it. Funny thing is it could be his ‘swan song’, but as the old saying goes, ‘what a way to go’. He would go down in United folklore alongside such greats as, Mal McDonnell, Jimmy Martin, Paul Malone and the man who ‘broke our hearts’ when he signed for the ‘scum’, Dessie ‘chicken’ Loughery. So Rory it’s over to you, let’s go ‘chase the Coleraine (love children) down the Ballycastle Road and the Sky Blue Sports team, go and on and on’!  

Decisions! Decisions!

We’re sorry, but for once at least, we have no news on United’s injury front. After Tuesday night’s famous victory against the ‘League champions’, let’s repeat that, victory over ‘the League champions’, we may have some players carrying a few ‘niggles’. Rory Hamill falls into that category as he ‘tweaked’ his hamstring and was replaced near the end of the game by the fit again Aiden Watson. Vinny Sweeney may also be in doubt as he had to come off at halftime, with a severe bout of sickness. Kevin Kelbie, who deputised for Sweeney so capably on Tuesday night, may get the starting nod if either or both strikers are unavailable. Also if both were unavailable, the manager may consider starting either of our two reserve strikers, Randall Reid and Paul McDowell. Unlike his predecessor, Kenny Shiels, the current United manager does have options open to him. One problem position we at ‘Sport feel needs sorting, is the central pairing of Scates and Haveron. Scates is the best performer by far, but Haveron flatters only to deceive and surely the management must realise that he is playing out of position. But will big Tam have the ‘courage’ to omit Haveron and give a start to either Aiden Watson or the forgotten man, Dominic Melly. Another option open to the United manager, if both strikers are fit, would be to play Sweeney and Kelbie up front, with the ‘versatile’ Hamill slotting into midfield. Defensive wise, he must also decide whether Gary Smyth has the stamina to play a second game inside four days and whether Craig McClean returns at fullback or Boydie continues in that role. Whatever he decides, one thing is for certain, three points are a must tomorrow as United’s most important game of the season so far, comes directly after the visit of Glenavon. Bring on Glenavon tomorrow we say and then we’ll give the ‘scum’ their comeuppance on Boxing Day!

Wright Bluffer!

In this season of ‘goodwill’, we at ‘Sport’ are wondering if it’s in short supply in the Wright household. A reliable ‘source’ informed us today that United had a ‘fully fit’ first team squad and that Phil Charnock would definitely play at the Oval tomorrow night, kick-off 19-45. Imagine our surprise on reading U.T.V. Teletext, only to be told that ‘Charnock’ would not be risked in tomorrow night’s match and would stay in England, playing in a ‘friendly’ game, in order to prove his fitness. What is the truth we wonder? Could it be that our manager is playing the wise-old ‘baldy’ Roy Coyle at his own game. Coyle rarely ‘shows  his hand’ in advance, there’s always one or two players who have no chance of playing in the game, but then former Carrick Rangers Physio, Jim Weatherup, lays on his ‘magic’ hands and the player or players make a miraculous recovery. They also generally manage to play a ‘blinder’ against us, which is even more ‘galling’. Could ‘Big’ Tam be subtle enough to ‘double bluff’, the ‘double bluffer’, or has Charnock really been left to carry-on his fitness, in England, as ‘Big’ Tam already stated. The only way to find out for sure is to go along to the Oval tomorrow night and we would urge all of United’s ‘true’ fans to do that, United are perfectly capable of ‘bouncing’ back and we’re long, long, long overdue a win at the Oval. Come on United, let’s ‘shag’ those Townies!

Down Downing!

Ballymena have, according to informed sources, only one decision to make regarding selection for tomorrow night’s match against Portadown at Shamrock Park, kick-off 19-45 (we think). That decision, again according to ‘sources’, is whether young Craig McClean, rested as a precaution on Tuesday night, comes back into the team, or if the manager decides to keep Aby McCabe, who performed so well against the Whites, in instead. One note of caution we at Sky Blue Sport would like to voice is, that the match will be highly provocative, as Portadown in general and Mickey Collins in particular, tend to impose a fairly physical threat. With that in mind maybe playing McCabe would be somewhat risky as he has a penchant to react somewhat ‘violently’ when provoked. Tomorrow night we will need our players to show a lot of discipline and as Aby is a wholehearted type of player, maybe it would not be the place for him to be. United find themselves in unchartered territory at the moment, with only three clean sheets prior to last Saturday’s game against Lisburn Distillery this season, they now have a chance to double that figure at Portadown tomorrow night, after two games in a row without conceding a goal. This will be a tall order against the Ports, who tend to be somewhat free scoring, but if the United defence is ‘up for the game’, then anything is possible. If the Sky Blues can somehow ‘glean’ four points from their next two games, Portadown tomorrow night and the visit to the Oval to play Glentoran on Tuesday December 13th, then we will be set up for the only home match before Christmas when we entertain Glenavon on Saturday December 17th. So Gary Smyth and company it’s over to you, we know you can do it, so come on and show us, ‘let’s shag those Portadowners’!