Rock On!

This is the only advice we feel is appropriate for tomorrow night's game away to Crusaders at Seaview, kick-off 19-45. As for team news, we don't have a baldy, but then what else is new. Rory Carson must be rated as doubtful after coming off at halftime in our last match at Mourneview Park, with suspected concussion. It was disappointing to see such a promising debut brought to an end in such a manner and what was even worse was the attitude of referee Davey Malcolm to the players obvious distress. Surely United officials should complain about the referee's non-caring attitude to our player in this instance, he showed an utterly callous disregard for our player's weelbeing..

But enough about referee's shortcomings, they are after all many and varied, but onto more important things. This will be only United's second game on Seaview's artifical surface and it's a surface they will need to get used to as Chickenville are installing a similar surface on their ground as well. As we seem to have abandoned our play from the back policy at the moment we should do quite well as it'ds only when you attempt to play football that the trouble begins on this type of surface. We assume Roy will continue with his five man midfield in the first half and then bring on Gibbo at halftime.

So far this formula has worked well for us in our last two games and it's not as negative as it appears and it reminds us of the old Alan Fraser system that was such a success for a short time with Barry Patton leading the line. Of course we had some willing midfielders in that team, Peter Murray and Phillip Knell being two of them. We wonder if Mo (McDowell) and Nathan (Hanley), will be soon spoken of in the same breath as these two great players. That team system was broken when we foolishly signed Glenn Hunter and things then went from bad to worse. Hopefully we won't make the same mistake again, but it's early days yet. So come on Sky Blues, let's shag those tame tigers!

Lion Tamers!

United make a return trip to County Armagh tomorrow night for match number four against Glenavon at Mourneview Park, kick-off 19-45. This game should've been played at Ballymena Showgrounds tonight, Thurs, but a F.I.F.A. ruling about matches on a Thursday means games (other than European games), are a non-starter. So it's all go for tomorrow night and despite 'rumblings' in the press we doubt there will be many changes to last Saturday's starting eleven.

Manger Walker, could of course do worse than begin with the 11 players who took the field in the 2nd period of last Saturday's game. The link-up play between Gibbo and Cutch, augured well for the future and proved that an impressive understanding has built-up between them already and hopefully a rich seam of goals lies in store for future United games. Rory Carson has been mentioned in dispatches, but we at 'Sport expect him to keep the bench warm for at least an hour of tomorrow's game.

United go into the 'Lion's den' tomorrow with their strongest line-up of late, with only two players not expected to report fit. Andy Smith, 'mark our words', will report fit for tomorrow's game and manager Walker will hopefully come to the correct conclusion as regards 'his star' striker's role. The odds are staked against us, but as they say, 'hope springs eternal', so come on Sky Blues, let's shag those non-marchers!

Rory Hanley!

No this isn't bad grammar (admittedly we are guilty of that at times), it's merely the name of the two new signing's who should make their début for United at Shamrock Park, against Portadown tomorrow. Of course we could've had another headline, like Nathan Carson, but we thought not. Hanley, a left sided midfielder, is the latest player to join the Sky Blues (Carson's signature has been expected for weeks)and gives Walker and his team yet another left-sided option. After last Saturday's debacle, we at 'Sport are anticipating major changes especially in defence where no-one emerged with any credit. With Sparky back from suspension, Mike Smith should be 'rested', alongside Albert and Colly. The only player in the back four who emerged with any credit last week was Archie and he should probably keep his place.

This would mean a start for Denver Gauge, with Gazza dropping back to partner him, while Rory Carson should make his début in centre midfield partnering Eamon Murray. With Mo on the right-side and Hanley on the left, it only leaves the striking partnership to be sorted out. Surely it's time we had a look at Dicky Gibson, while Mackers showed enough in his subs appearance last week to merit selection from the start. With the Cutch and Andy 'the headless chicken' Smith, showing little last week, surely a place on the bench is all they can merit.

In an interesting footnote last week a certain David Cushley scored the winner for Lisburn Distillery at Seaview (well Tommy Wright did once dub him the best young player in Ireland and then bluntly refused to let him do his own thing), while Sean O'Neill (Oggers), had a match-winning performance in goal for Dungannon Swifts at home to Linfield. Stephen Alexander in The Ballymena Times (B.T.), said that last Saturday's result was almost as bad as the loss to Kilnore Rec. during the reign of Kenny Shiels. We at 'Sport think you're way off the mark there Stephen, as actually in our opinion last Saturday's was a much worse result.

Not to make excuses for Kenny Shiels, but in the end he merely underestimated Kilmore, by fielding a weakened team. Last week we had out the eleven heroes who went to Windsor Park and fought a gallant draw against the reigning champions. This same starting eleven flopped miserably against newly promoted Donegal Celtic. Four nil was quite a drubbing, but we all know it could and should've been a lot worse. We were outfought and worse still out-thought. When our team came out for the 2nd half, we had made one substitution, but our tactics were still the same and of course we paid the ultimate penalty, a deserved 4 nil drubbing. Enough is enough, a vast improvement is required over the next 3 games, all away from home. Otherwise a bleak future awaits us all. No final punchline form us this week, we just expect some honest endeavour, with that anything is possible!

Walker's Warning!

United manager Roy Walker has told his boys that their draw at Windsor Park last Saturday against league champions Linfield, set the standard for the remaining matches this season. What the man means is, last Saturday's effort will have been for nothing, if they don't consolidate it with a win, when they meet newly promoted Donegal Celtic at the Showgrounds tomorrow. United should be at full strength with Murray and Berry deemed fit enough to make their home débuts. This will be United's only home Saturday fixture in August, as their game against Glenavon, scheduled for August 28 will be played on Thursday August 26.

Tomorrow's opponents suffered a home defeat last week and will no doubt want get a result against the Sky Blues and avoid falling further behind early pace-setters, Glenavon, who ground out a one nil win at home to Portadown tonight. Newly appointed manager, Marty Tabb, was a great battler during his playing days and will no doubt have his boys all fired up for this game. With every man expected to be fit Roy Walker, will have to decide, who to leave out of his 14 man panel, rather than being restricted as to whom he can has fit for selection.

With the United forwards shooting blanks against Linfield last week, it will be interesting to see which player has his scoring boots on tomorrow. This is a game we have to win, it's not that vital as far as points go, but it will tell us if we are still carrying our hang-up of the last few season (our ineptitude against lower placed teams), or if we have definitely laid that statistic to rest. If we could, we at 'Sport believe it just might give us the incentive to go on to bigger and better things. So come on Sky Blues, let's shag those westies!

Seeing Red!

No this isn't a description of the embarrassment felt at Windsor Avenue following the news that Raymond 'I put my foot in my mouth every time I open it', Kennedy, has decided to not resign after all. Neither is it that United fans will be seeing red at being herded into the Spion Kop stand at Windsor for tomorrow's opening league encounter against league champions Linfield. It will be because United will be donning their new away red strip, instead of their customary Sky Blue. We at 'Sport will still refer to them as the Sky Blues, we are after all 'dyed in the wool' United fans.

What the make-up of tomorrow's team will be is anybody's guess as at least four first team players seem set to be missing. Sparky is definitely missing as he serves a two game suspension, while local boy Mo McDowell (pronounced Mac Doughall), is still carrying a groin injury. Defensive stalwart Albert Watson is struggling with a facial injury and striker Andy Smith is extremely doubtful too. This may mean a version of little and large leading our forward line aka Gibson and McCutcheon. Also making their competitive débuts tomorrow will be goalkeeper Robert Brown and midfielders Ryan Berry and Eamon Murray.

Local boy Denver Gage could also get the call-up if manager Walker is averse to having three principally left-footed players in defence, namely Gazza, Archie and Colly. Would the manager be bold enough we wonder, to give a start to Mike Smith mark 2 on the left, in the absence of the versatile 'I can play anywhere' Sparky. Tomorrow will probably be a damage limitation exercise and Walker would probably settle for a narrow defeat 2-1, 3-1 or be over the moon with a hard fought draw.
We on the other hand see things a lot differently, Linfield are expected to brush us aside and for that reason there is a just a little bit of extra pressure on them.

Also it'll either be Alan Blaney or 'Alice' Addis in goals for them and we have first hand experience of both their shortcomings. On the downside the referee appointed is Richard Crangle and we have good reason to remember his biased nature at work and a strong character like the bigoted David Jeffrey could surely sway Crangle into making decisions in the home team's favour. But let's not get paranoid, it's the first game of the new season, hopefully fair play isn't just a pipe dream, so come on Sky Blues (Reds), let's shag those village idiots!