Scum Drum!

United go into the first derby game of the season with the realisation that three points will put them into 2nd place in the Premier table. These heady heights would have been unthinkable after United suffered an embarrassing 4-0 home defeat to Donegal Celtic, in only their 2nd league game of the season. But with wins over Ports. Glenavon and Newry City, before outclassing league leaders Glentoran, despite the efforts of referee Davey Malcolm, we have moved into joint 2nd place with Linfield. Linfield and Glens don't play tomorrow and so a win will move the Sky Blues into 2nd on their own at least for a couple of days anyway. That of course is not to say that a win tomorrow is a foregone conclusion, it is a derby after all and form tends to go out the window on these occasions, but all things considered we believe we've got too much firepower for the Bannsiders.

We have no idea what Roy's thinking may be on his team selection, as both goalscorers, Murray and Gibson were substituted in the Glens game and it's not apparent if they were injured. But as he rightly says it's a matter of 'horses for courses' anyway and he may want to tweak things a little bit. Barring injuries, we expect the back four of Mike, Albert, Denver and Archie to be certain of selection, while if fit, Murray, Hanly and Taggart, with one or two others, as Roy sees fit, will fill the midfield area. In the absence of Carson, serving an automatic one game ban, could Ryan Berry make his comeback, or will the wily Walker, give Mo McDowell his first taste of a Derby game. The strikers, both bang on form, again if fit, pick themselves. Dwayne Nelson, despite his gaffe of gifting the Glens an undesrved goal on Tuesday night is the best man to have between the sticks and will no doubt get the nod tomorrow.

Not to dwell too much on last Tuesday's result, but it's quite ironic that referee Davey Malcolm booked 8 United players, Carson was booked twice, which resulted in him being sent off and he also sent our manager off at halftime, while only booking one home player and they were feigning injury from the word go. Also it should be noted that Davey was possibly getting his own back on Carson, for his gaffe in not bringing the physio on at Mourneview when Carson was clearly suffering from concussion. We at 'Sport thought that was the lowest that Davey could come, obviously we were well wide of the truth and he had quite a few more tricks up his gigantic sleeve. Hopefully we won't have him officiate at one of our games for a wee while but knowing the I.F.A. anything's possible.

Sky Blue Sport's Bruce Balmer will miss tomorrows game and we may have no match report, although we're hopeful someone will step into the breech. Bruce says he's boycotting tomorrows game as United were fined for a bottle throwing incidrnt on our last visit to the Coleraine slum, while scum keeper, Davey 'fat' O'Hare, who goaded United fans wasn't even censored. Noble as this may sound the rest of the 'Sports team don't believe a word of it and we are convinced that Bruce like us all is just doing as he's told, that as they say is how the cookie crumbles. But we digress, this is just the first instalment of what we hope will be a profitable rivalry, as we're guaranteed two home games, including 'Boxing Day' against the Coleraine scum. So it's all systems go for three points, let's drum the scum into the ground, so come on United, let's shag those Coleraine ewes!