Looking Up!

After tonight's results in the Carling premiership, an away win, 2-1 for the I.F.A. (Linfield) and a draw between Newry and Distillery 1-1, United have a chance to move into 5th place with a win or maybe even 4th place depending on the result between the 'scum' and Chickenville when Glenavon come to the Showgrounds tomorrow. United manager Roy Walker has intimated that he may change things a wee bit for tomorrow's game or in his words, 'tweak things a wee bit'. We at 'Sport would counsel Roy to proceed with caution, always remembering the old adage of not changing for the sake of changing. The team that started against Linfield last week is our best starting eleven of the players fit and well at present and that team should be good enough to see off Glenavon tomorrow.

Admittedly there was a wee concern about the apparent ease which Peter Thompson shrugged off the challenges of Denver last week. But Denver is still finding his feet and Thompson (whether we like it or not), is an International and probably the top striker in our league at present, now that Hamilton has gone into the doldrums. Denver just needs to be a little more assertive and our next two games where he'll come up against first the experienced Tony Grant and then the 'I've seen and done it all' Glenn Fergusson, will be the perfect games for him to perfect his technique. The game beyond that, away to Cliftonville could match him against yet another top striker, Chris Scannell, so you see it's not going to get any easier, but it's all a learning curve and will stand him in good stead.

There's always Gazza for back-up if things do get tight, he slotted in last Saturday, just as if he'd been playing there all season, instead of only starting a handful of games this term. If Eamon Murray isn't 100% fit and he hasn't been for a few weeks, then surely he'd best not start against his former club tomorrow. We realise we'd miss his silken skills, but we did manage two goals last week against Linfield, when he didn't come out for the 2nd half. We also missed two 'sitters'and we're left wondering when Cutch is going to start delivering his promise of goals when he signed. Gibbo, a low key signing, has been a revelation and looks set to carve his name in United history along with the best of them. It was nice to see 'Sparky' back among the goals last week too, although we doubt he knew much about his 2nd effort.

With Gavin Taggart and Andy Smith, both fit again, will manager Walker give them starting slots tomorrow? Surely even Roy would be reluctant to bite into his prime eleven in such a fashion. But of course it may be a matter of tactics, or 'horses for courses' as seems to be the in-phrase at present, after studying recent reports on Glenavon's exploits. The visitors have shipped a lot of goals this term and we have missed a lot of sitters and these wil be the deciding factors in tomorrow's game we think. Manager Walker also hinted that he might 'rest' Dwayne Nelson, with Ryan Brown now recovered from injury, that also might be a bold move? Tomorrow's game could go a long way to defining our season and it'd be nice going to New Grovesnor on Tuesday night a place above the Whites and in order to do that a win tomorrow is a must. So come on Sky Blues, let's shag those Mourneviewers!