Sky Blue Sport News

Friday, September 29, 2006

Townie Tamers!

For our second Carnegie Irish Premier league game, United travel to the protestant heartland of East Belfast, to take on the 'Townies' of Glentoran. To say that this ground (official name the Oval), is a 'grip', is to make a vast understatement, but there are worse grounds around, though thankfully not many. United go into the game with no known injury worries and in fact Gary Haveron is reportedly poised for a return. The United manager is rightly concerned about his central defensive pairing and we at 'Sport fear that it's only a matter of time before team Captain Albert Watson gets the chop. Albert has struggled all season and we can only hope that its the burden of the Captaincy which is affecting the Whitehead youngsters form. Will big Tam be bold enough to change the back four for tomorrow's game or will he merely have Gary Haveron on the bench. One option open to him is to go with three at the back, Haveron, Albert and Simms, which means leaving out one from Boydie, Darren Murphy, Scatesy, Picking, Callaghan and Aiden Watson, its assumed that Kevin Kelbie and Paul Brown will get the nod up front. In fact the manager will have a big decision to make as to who occupies the subs bench as Fitzy is fit again and it'll be a toss up between him, Austen Friel, Lee Patrick and Andy Rosbotham for who fills the two spots up for grabs. A bit of change from two weeks ago when we had just 13 fit players. But no matter who gets the 'nod' for tomorrows game, one thing is for certain, they'll have to give 110 % effort if United are to come away from East Belfast with a result. So come on Sky Blues, let's shag those Townies!
P.S. Omar's moving finger, has returned and please remember to check out his weekly columm every Thursday. His first diatribe was published last night and is a hard hitting article on our dear friends, the Coleraine Scum and their great escape from prosecution after their bankruptency. Always remember, there's only one real United web site, east or west, 'Sport is the best!

Friday, September 22, 2006

Blue Bombers!

This is it, the start of the Carnegie Premier League, there’s no more time for ‘farting about’, its time to deliver the goods. Glenavon come to the Showgrounds tomorrow fresh from their first victory of the season and what a victory that was, beating last year’s invincibles, the Linfield Blues. The task for the Sky Blues is simple, put enough goals past the Lurgan Blues and then they’ll be no way back for them. To say we at ‘Sport were disappointed with a draw last week, was to make a gross understatement, but at least our two strikers got on the scoresheet, which was some consolation. We at ‘Sport believe that three goals tomorrow will win the points for us, but we really have to tighten things up at the back, giving away silly goals is just not on. The news on the injury front is not good we’re sorry to say, with only Aiden Watson passed fit, but he along with new signing Colm McCullagh should be in the 14 players selected for tomorrow. United manager Tommy Wright will have to decide whether to go with the versatile Dom Melly, or the one-dimensional Andrew Rosbotham along with last weeks starting eleven. It will be hard on either player but we can’t honestly see him dropping Lee Patrick or Austin Friel in order to accommodate both fringe players. Rightly or wrongly (or should we say ‘Wrightly’), the manager will stick with the two ex-Limavady men that he brought to the Ballymena in the close season. So it’s all systems go for three points tomorrow, but given our record for poor starts over the last few seasons, you never can be really sure. But let’s be positive, let’s send Glenavon home with a dose of the blues, in short, let’s ‘shag’ those Lurgan men!

Friday, September 15, 2006

Limavady Laughs!

As we go into our last C.I.S. cup fixture, a meaningless game at home to Limavady United, it appears we are struggling for fit players. Both Craig McClean and Boydie are missing and now Gary Haveron is out also, which leaves us with virtually no cover on the left-hand side. Aiden Watson is still short of match fitness and won’t be risked in this meaningless fixture. This leaves the home team with only the ‘bare bones’ and it’s likely that some reserve players will be called up for the senior panel. This is of course not a meaningless game for our opponents, who still have a chance to qualify if they can win by two clear goals and Portadown lose away to Crusaders. It would be somewhat ironic if Limavady did make through to the next phase wouldn’t it, given all the ‘baggage’ between the two clubs. We at ‘Sport said before our first home game, that only an emphatic win would convince us that United were the finished article, that of course didn’t materialise. Anything less than that tomorrow and we think United fans will start voting with their feet. So lads it’s time to get your collective fingers out, lets win tomorrow and lets do it with a bit to spare, ‘Lets shag those Roesiders’!

Friday, September 08, 2006

Heir Apparent!

David Healy was the King who reigned over Spain on Wednesday night at Windsor Park. United require a King tomorrow and who better to fill the bill than King ´Kevin´ Kelbie. Only a win will do for United against the ´Hatchet men´ and therefore the strikers must deliver the goods if United are to progress to the C.I.S. cup knockout stages. We at ´Sport have been unable to ascertain if Aarron Callaghan, free from under-21 duty and the fit again Craig McClean will get a start or if Tommy will stick with the men who did the job against the Ports. One thing must surely be patently obvious to the United manager by now and that is, Albert Watson needs to be relieved of the Captaincy. The young Whitehead-man will hopefully be a United Captain of the future, but now is not the time. Another thing that must be obvious to the manager is the need to keep Boydie at the club. His display against Portadown was excellent and what he lacks in pace, he makes up for in guile. So as far as we are concerned it´s a case of ´same again´for the starting line-up and hopefully it´ll be the same again for the result. Come on Sky Blues let´s shag those townies!