Ballyskeagh Affray!

What will Big Tam do tomorrow we wonder, will he actually give a late fitness test to Paul Brown and Craig McClean, as reported in tonight’s Belfast Telegraph, or will he bring in Kevin Kelbie who was out due to suspension last week and continue with Boydie at left back, no matter what the outcome. One man who seems certain to retain his place is last week’s two goal hero, Rory Hamill. Yes he could and probably should’ve had an easy hat-trick, but at the end of the day his two goals last week kept United in the hunt for a top four finish. Dungannon Swifts got back to winning ways tonight with a 2-1 victory over Armagh City and a win tomorrow for United is almost vital. We have been saying that for the last three League previews, but now we are getting near to the desperation stakes! We estimate that United require 14 points over the next six games to stand any chance of reaching the top four or better. A defeat tomorrow or even a draw would turn that into a mammoth task, in fact a nigh impossible one. So would the ‘real’ United please stand up and be counted, otherwise this season will have been for nothing. Nice to see that our manager has acted early and extended the contracts of Kelbie, McClean and Albert Watson with a view to next season already. But let’s not lose sight of this season just yet, a win tomorrow against the team who put us out of this season’s Irish cup, would go a long way to making this season a success story. So come on Sky Blues, ‘let’s shag those Lisburner’s’, we’re behind you all the way!

Roe Wreckers!

Its cup final number two for Ballymena United tomorrow, as they face the daunting trip to Limavady to play Paul Kee’s rejuvenated United. After the abysmal showing against bottom club Ards last Saturday it’s important for the Sky Blues to get back to winning ways. To say it won’t be easy is to make a gross understatement, never mind the baggage about Tommy Wright’s leaving of Limavady, Ballymena’s record against the Roesiders is anything but impressive. As if that wasn’t enough, Limavady’s skipper, Lee Patrick, was on Ballymena’s books during Kenny Shiels’s spell at the Showgrounds. The influential skipper scored twice when Limavady visited Ballymena and will be out to emphasis that it was no fluke tomorrow. But if and we emphasis the word ‘if’, United want to be a real force in the Irish Premier league, three points tomorrow are almost vital. By our figuring, seven points are needed from the next three games, Limavady away tomorrow, Lisburn Distillery away next week and then Portadown at home two weeks later. The United manager will we think (let’s face it we’re only guessing here), start with two ex-Limavady players up front, namely Sweeney and Brown. With Aiden Watson rumoured to be fit once more, big Tam must decide whether to risk him in midfield or stick with Scates and Haveron. We at ‘Sport would advocate a starting line-up of last Saturday’s finishing eleven, with Rory Hamill getting the nod in a five man midfield. Hamill who has flattered to deceive since his move from Coleraine needs to start delivering the goods. We know he has the talent, but it’s time for him to start doing the business. We’re going to need every player giving his all over the next two months and where better to start than at Limavady tomorrow. Come on United, ‘let’s shag’ those Roesiders!

Sure King!

Back to action for the Sky Blues when they entertain Ards tomorrow at the Showgrounds, our first game at home since the cup replay loss to Lisburn Distillery. It’s also our first and only league game at home this month and in our opinion the fixture planners must consider this next season. We had a similar scenario last season, but it wasn’t as obvious as we were involved in the Irish cup and so had the odd home game. But we digress, United must get back on the winning trail tomorrow, although it won’t be easy as the Ards players will be out to prove it was all the ‘manager’s fault’ and that’s why they’re rooted to the bottom of the table. As contrary to rumours, we have no inside track to the manager’s thinking, we can only guess as to his line-up for tomorrow’s game. One name sure to be in the starting line-up will be our hero of 15 days ago, Stuarty King. But will the manager give Kevin Kelbie a rest as he is unavailable for next week’s match away to Limavady United, as he is serving a one match ban. Would he be wiser to start with Sweeney and Brown as his front two, or maybe give Rory Hamill the chance to claim a rare starting place? It’s anybody’s guess but hopefully big Tam will make the ‘right’ decision, he usually does anyway. Would he we wonder be bold enough to ‘rest’ Willie McFrederick, who had a couple of real ‘howlers’ at Stangmore Park and promote back-up keeper Stuart Addis in his place? Popular opinion says no, it seems Tommy thinks Willie is the man for the job and if anybody would know it’s surely him. So we at ‘Sport expect a practically unchanged team tomorrow, but in reality we really don’t have a clue. But we do expect United to roll up their sleeves and go get the three points tomorrow which will move them up into fourth place after Dungannon Swifts draw with Linfield tonight. So come on Sky Blues, let’s shag those County Downers, you owe us at least that much!

Match Off!

United’s friendly with Bohemians at the Showgrounds tonight has been cancelled, as the pitch is unplayable. To our way of thinking this is not a bad thing, as the risk to the players was too great and it was a game we really didn’t need. The rest may give the management staff the chance to assess their tactics, which in our opinion needs a bit of attention. The United third string lost one nil to Oliver Plunkett at Taylors Avenue last night and with that defeat went the chance of silverware of any description for the United teams this season. So it’s back to the drawing board for the United management as they seek to bring some cheer to their frustrated fans. The United board have over the years, despite a few ‘blips’, always done the proper thing, paid off their debts and paid their players no matter what, but they must wonder if they have somehow got the wrong end of the stick. Take the case of our derby rivals the Coleraine Scum, they went deeply into debt, were wound up, but still survived, winning the Irish cup in the process. Maybe the United management will have to decide in the next couple of years whether being ‘good guys’ will get the job done, or whether they’ll have to throw caution to the wind and go for it. Hopefully big Tommy and the boys will deliver the goods next season, but first they need to finish no worse than fourth this term to guarantee Setanta cup qualification. That will leave them free to get a trophy on the United cabinet next season and when they win that first trophy, they’ll have reached their goal!

Screw Drivers!

United take on Bohemians in a friendly tomorrow night at the Showgrounds, kick-off, 07-30. A member of the Sky Blue team believes this match to be totally unnecessary and thinks that United would be better to work on their set-pieces, which are to say the least disappointing. Now that we have the players, tall and forceful, surely we should be able to score more goals from corners and free kicks. At the start of the season we ‘were’ scoring more as Andy Rosbotham’s delivery was excellent and maybe we need to try some other players out at taking the kicks to see if we can up our goalscoring ratio. There’s also the chance that United players could pick up unwanted injuries and we’ll need all our players as we approach our remaining 8 league games. These are potentially 8 cup finals and if we are to qualify for money spinning competitions, Setanta cup and either Inter Toto or E.U.F.A. cups, we need to approach them in such a manner. No-one should look upon our next game against Ards as a push over, they’ve just parted company with their manager and in our experience the players will be out to prove that it was his entire fault. United should bear in mind what happened when Limavady parted company with their then manager Eddie Seydak, the man in charge before Tommy Wright, they came to us and beat us out of sight. So United will need a professional approach for that game and then away to the aforementioned Limavady the following week. Yes there are a few interesting games coming up, to be sure and hopefully United will be up for them. United’s third string have a Youth cup semi-final tonight at Taylors Avenue Carrickfergus. We’d urge any United fans, thinking of taking in the game to come well ‘happed’ up, as Taylors Avenue is a coul hole at the best of times and tonight it will be even couler. Hopefully the wee Sky Blues will progress to the final, we unfortunately will not have a match report from either tonight or tomorrow night’s game as Bruce Balmer is not available. So come on Sky Blues let’s plug those ‘Plunketts’ and blast those Bohemians, we know you can do it!