Walker's Wand!

United manager Roy Walker will need to weave his 'magic' wand in tomorrow's first leg of the C.I.S. cup away to 'Stute. United's collective heads must be down after allowing a two goal lead to slip through their fingers on Tuesday night with only 7 minutes of normal time remaining. Was it just a lapse of concentration or was it that old malaise which has troubled United in the last couple of seasons, the leaking of goals. No doubt former United strikers, Paul Browne and Kevin Ramsay will be out to exploit any signs of weakness in order to give the home team a chance of progressing in this cup. If United can reproduce a display of Tuesday's nights calibre, they will quite easily sweep the opposition aside, but if they cannot, it may well be a very close run thing. United talisman Kevin Kelbie has reported fit again and if either McConnell or Andy Smith show any signs of fatigue after Tuesday night's game, then Kelbie might well be given a starting role. If Cushley is fit he may well get the nod ahead of Ormo, but the wily Walker may decide to give him a few more days to get back to full fitness. If the manager was paying attention on Tuesday night he may decide to give Archie a rest, which could mean a starting role for wee Geordie as Mike Smith would go back to rightback, with Surgenor partnering Chris Ramsay in central defence. The manager may also decide to give keeper Dwayne Nelson a 'rest' as he was not at his most impressive last week. The rest of the team should be on the usual lines with the ever present, Lee Colligan (surprisingly passed over for Ronnie McFall's under-23 squad), Darren Lockhart and Noel Anderson automatic choices. The United manager may be in a position to play all three joint-top scores, Kelbie, Cushley and big Nathan. The possibilities are endless, but only if everyone has a clean bill of health, so come on Sky Blues, let's shag those Stroke City sheep!

Straight Furrow!

Glentoran manager Alan McDonald was quoted as saying his team's comeback victory with 10 men last saturday against Cliftonville marked a pivotal point in their season. He felt they had now turned the 'corner' and things could only get better or words to that effect. Meanwhile at the Showgrounds United boss Roy Walker hasn't been quoted as saying anything, but we'd (if we were betting folk that is), lay odds that in that old farming parlance, he's telling our boys to 'plough' a straight furrow. The one thing we have found out about this Glens side is that if you can take the game to them, they tend to get a wee bit rattled and United have already 'rattled' them this season. On the injury front for tomorrow's game, we basically don't have a clue. Kelbie is very doubtful, Cushley was substituted on Saturday, but how serious his injury is we don't know. Will Walker stick with the 3,5,2 formation that worked so well on Saturday, or revert back to the more favoured 4,4,2, we just don't know and in Bruce Balmer's words, we'd never try to second guess a 'wily old fox' at any rate. Whatever system Roy comes up with and which players don the Sky Blue jersey, they'll definitely need to be up for this game, so come on Sky Blues let's shag these carrot pickers!

Crues Encounter!

United face a tough match tomorrow at home to league leaders Crusaders still without their Captain, Kevin Kelbie. If that's not bad enough, his stand-in, Andy Smith, is rated as 'doubtful' due to a viral infection. If Andy is missing tomorrow it will mean that United manager Roy Walker's striking options will be somewhat limited, with only Paul McNeill as cover. Darren Lockhart, our Mr versatile, who's an 'I'll play anywhere' type of guy, could be drafted into a striking role alongside Nathan McConnell, but we feel he'll be needed for the United engine room. United need to get back to basics in tomorrow's game, after their poor showing in the Shield semi-final on Tuesday past.
Paul Muir may get a recall in a defensive role at the expense of either Archie or Chris (Ramsay), as the 'young' United back four looked badly at sea last Tuesday. With Muir's experience and steadying hand our back four may be able to rise to the occasion in this instance. But no matter what surely the Sky Blue fans will be looking for their team to restore some pride after the debacle of Tuesday night. Bruce Balmer makes a welcome return to the 'Sport ranks after his short break in sunnier climes (luckily he missed the Shield semi) and will be bringing his unique report from tomorrow's game. So come on Sky Blues, let's shag those hatchet men!

Shield Shifters!

United made a swift return to Solitude tomorrow night, where they got a rare victory two weeks ago against Cliftonville, but this time it´s a County Antrim Shield semi-final game against current premier league leaders Crusaders. United are very much the underdogs in this game as the free scoring Crues will be expected to triumph over seventh placed United. Of course as any manager worth his ´salt´would tell you, league form counts for naught when it´s a knock out competition. Steven Baxter in his first managerial role, has done well with the ´hatchet´men, winning the Irish cup last season, but even he would have to concede that he is the apprentice, while United manager Roy Walker is the expert´ and hopefully that old dog will have a few tricks up his sleeve for tomorrow night´s game.
The first decision the United manager must make is whether to recall veteran Darren Lockhart, who had to sit out Saturday´s derby victory over the Coleraine scum, serving an automatic one game ban. The team performed excellently without big Darren and the ´wily´Walker may be reluctant to interfere with the starting eleven who won more convincingly than the 3-2 scoreline suggests. United must do without team Captain Kevin Kelbie as he remains sidelined with a swollen knee and is indeed doubtful for the visit of tomorrow night´s opponents to the Showgrounds for a league encounter this Saturday. But whomever Roy selects will have to be on top of their game if they are to be triumphant at North Belfast venue, so come on Sky Blues, let´s shag, no let´s really shag those Tiger bay babies!

Scum Removal!

Various cleaning products boast about their individual prowess at removing scum and that's what United must do tomorrow when the Coleraine 'scum' come to town. United manager Roy Walker endeared himself to United fans with a near perfect record last season, two wins and a draw against the 'team' we love to hate, but this season got off to a bad start with a narrow defeat at the 'scum' slum. Tomorrow United have the chance to set the record straight once more and every Sky Blue fan will be willing them to do it. This is probably the most important game of the season for United as after the 'split' which occurs after 3 rounds of games, we may not be in the same section and there will be no fourth meeting between the teams (this is what those mindless idiots at the I.F.A. call progress, we know what we call it). United go into the game without veteran Darren Lockhart and to the best of our knowledge Kevin Kelbie. So with our young back four and our untried midfield, Cushley is the longest established member in the team, add two forwards who have only scored 5 goals between them and you don't need us to tell you, that we have a mammoth task on our hands. Cometh the hour, cometh the man or so they say and hopefully some individual will stand up and be counted tomorrow and lead the Sky Blues to a deserved victory over the rats from the bannside. So come on Sky Blues, let's shag those Coleraine blaggers!

Fat Revenge!

United go into tomorrow's game against Dungannon Swifts without team Captain Kevin Kelbie, still out with a swollen knee, while new signing Chris Ramsay is also doubtful after having to come off on his debut at Solitude last Tuesday night. Gavin Taggart is also extremely doubtful with a foot injury and Aiden Watson faces a fitness test after being injured in a reserve game last Saturday. On the plus side, yes there is a plus side, Mark Surgenor has recovered form Flu and could resume in the centre of defence, allowing that 'workhorse' Darren Lockhart to revert to his more familiar midfield role. With Andy Smith finally getting a league goal the United manager will no doubt stick with Smith and McConnell as his strike force but will possibly have to jiggle things around in midfield. With this in mind he could do worse than to bring in Ryan Deans who proved last season that he has the ability to 'cut it' in the big league. Hopefully the players will be totally focused on the job in hand, getting all three points and will leave the 'shouting' to us, even though at times we may be misunderstood, we are 'bloody' good at it (some would say we've had a lot of practice). So come on Sky Blues, let's shag those fat boys from the 'hard of hearing' country!

Red Sky!

Red sky at night, Shepherds delight, goes the old saying and here's hoping the Ballymena Shepherds will be delighted after tomorrow night's game at Solitude against the Belfast reds. We honestly can't remember the last time we beat Cliftonville in the last few seasons, in fact the best we can remember is credible draws and one tomorrow night would do very nicely. But 3 points would be a whole lot better and our hosts could be a little jaded after playing against a team of Sligo Rovers quality on Saturday, a day on which the Sky Blues had a rest. As to the make-up of the United team we honestly don't have a clue as to who's available. Against Donegal Celtic we were down to the bare bones, with only one fit central defender, Archie Stewart. During a close season friendly at Taylor's Avenue, Carrickfergus, the United manager tried Noel Anderson in central defence, just as a precaution and we foolishly thought he doesn't need to know the answer to that as we have 5 central defenders vying for only 2 slots, but what foresight on our manager's part we're now thinking. Hopefully Mark Surgenor will have recovered from his bout of flu and be able to take his place alongside Archie as we don't half miss Lockhart's influence in midfield. Whoever takes the field tomorrow night though, will have to be up for it and that's for sure, so come on Sky Blues, lets shag those Chickenvillers!