Sky Blue Sport News

Monday, December 31, 2012

Dolan Debut!

United travel to Dungannon tomorrow to take on the Swifts and new signing Shane Dolan is expected to start for the Sky Blues, as for the rest of United's team, it's anybody's guess. Our two centre backs, Cookie and Archie, are extremely doubtful and Archie has hinted on twitter that he'll be out at least a couple of weeks. We may be forced to start with Rodgers and Sparky in central defence, but we could do with Sparky in midfield to replace Gavin who has to serve a one game ban for his stupid sending-off on Saturday. Failing that we may have to bring a reserve player on, Eoin Gillan for example, being a likely contender, or Spike could have a rethink and recall Neil Lowry or is that too late, as he was rumoured to be starting a loan spell at first division Ards. Playing Lowry would mean us playing a midfield lacking in ball winners and that's what we need in abundance against the Swifts. Maybe Spike will think of starting Jenks at central defence and release Sparky to cover for Gavin, decisions, decisions, who would want to be a football manager?

The word on the forums is for King Billy to get a start, to provide some much needed ammunition for the new striker, Dolan. We've been crying out for a striker since the start of the season, but he isn't going to be any use if we can't get the ball up to him. The Swifts have lost their last three league games and they'll be out for revenge having suffered a reverse against us in early November and to get their season rolling again. So it's going to be a tough fixture and truth to be told, we always find tough at Stangmore Park, so why should tomorrow be any different. The Swifts will be minus a couple of players also, Topley and Fitzpatrick, both serving a one game ban and maybe the result will hinge on who has the most fully fit players. We would like to tell you we have a strong referee for this game, but we cannot lie, it's the Dungannon native Mark 'ham shank' Courtney. This official needs no introduction to Sky Blue fans, but we can only hope he has an off-day tomorrow. Its in our hands, so come on Sky Blues, lets shag those chicken packers!

Friday, December 28, 2012

Cup Finals!

United go into this game which marks two-thirds of the pre-split league, 22 games played and 11 to play, 9 points adrift of the top six. Nine points are nothing if you are playing well, but if you are on a run like United are with 6 league defeats in a row, it's a mountain to climb. We have 12 games to play, starting tomorrow, before the split and we need get as many points as we can in those games, 24 points should be good enough, but we can't afford to think like that, we need the team to fight for every ball as if their lives depended on it, then and only then can they say they gave their best shot. We need to treat every match as if it was a cup final, no shirking tackles, no hiding when there's throw-ins to be taken and above all getting into the danger areas in our opponents box.

We have just suffered at the hands our derby rivals, the Coleraine scum, but that match is history now, tomorrow's match is a clean slate and we need a monumental effort from players who have been only going through the motions in the last six league games. The players to a man talk about the great facilities at the Showgrounds, but on their last six displays in the league they don't deserve them, maybe we should get a prefab converted for them, with no hot water and basic changing facilities, that would harden them, we think. As for team news, we know Tony Kane is available again, but Alan D is still injured, so it's down to the same panel of players. We, the loyal fans deserve an apology, but the best apology would be to see the team put in 100% effort, if that's not good enough, so be it, but please try your eye-strings out.

You are living the dream for us fans, don't let us down, you already showed us you have the skill, but have you got the stamina for a fight? According to reports there's one, or possibly three new faces coming in at the January transfer window, so some of you are playing for your very contracts, so give it your best shot. When Spike calls you into his office on next Monday night, you'll want to have a recent good match to fight your cause, not the abject crap you've been playing in league matches in the last seven weeks. We've had our fair share of injuries in the last month or two, but then all teams get injuries and it's how we cope with them that makes us a stronger unit, but at the minute we aren't coping well. It's been a pretty miserable Christmas so far, lets not make it any worse, come on Sky Blues, lets shag those Lisburn ewes!

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Bum Scum!

We've been looking for two words that sum tomorrows opponents the Coleraine scum and we think we've found them in 'bum scum'. That headline sums up our rival from the North-West succinctly in our opinion, they're most definitely bums and they're are scum, end of story. United go into this derby racked with injuries and suspensions, depriving them of at least two midfielders and the Seven Towers supporters player of month for November, fullback Tony Kane. As with the Glens match which was postponed on last Saturday, we haven't a clue about team selection and can only guess which Spike might do. We at 'Sport think he needs to recall Dwayne in goals and it's a toss-up between Vaulsey and Rodgers for the rightback slot, the rest of the defence will be on the usual lines, of Cookie, Archie and Ross (Black), we have nobody to challenge them.

It's in midfield we are struggling at the moment and we know it's alien for Spike to think anything but 4,3,3, but surely its a case of 'horses for courses' and with that in mind we'd like to see him start a midfield four of, King Billy (Bingham), Sparky, Jenks and Cush. Cush is the backbone of our midfield and he gives support to his fullback and he can get forward and help his forwards. Now we come to the crucial picks, we were championing for Elvis to be recalled in a starting role for last Saturday's damp squib at the Oval and we unashamedly call for him to get the nod tomorrow. We have to take the game to the Coleraine scum, it's the only way we have of upsetting them, they won't expect it and as corporal Jones used to say on Dads Army, they won't like it up 'em. On the subject of who to partner Elvis we have come up with an option of Jamie in the first half and Lowry in the 2nd half.

It'd be brave decision, but fortune favours the brave and Spike was never scared to take a chance in his playing days. He already has got one up on his former playing partner, Oran 'the diving bird' Kearney, having won a senior trophy in just a year of management. We say a senior trophy, all the scum have won in their short history, is that Northwest cup, better known as the reserves cup. But all that will be forgotten tomorrow when the two lock horns to see who is the best tactician in this latest battle of wits and maybe more importantly who is celebrating with their fans at the final whistle. It goes without saying that'll we need a strong referee and we haven't a clue who it is, but all we can wish for is somebody who takes into consideration what this match means to both teams and their supporters and doesn't go flourishing yellow cards or the dreaded red cards 'willy nilly'. We all hope for a tough match, no quarter ask or given and the right result, come on Sky Blues, lets shag those Coleraine scum!

Friday, December 21, 2012

Forra Point!

There's a line in Shakespeare's Richard 3rd that goes 'my kingdom for a horse', United manager Spike could be thinking along those very lines when he names his line-up for United's match away to the Belfast Glens, but his cry will be go and win a point at least. We fans are never happy, when we were drawing all those games early on in the season, we were urging our team to go out and turn them draws into wins and now with five defeats in a row, what we wouldn't give for a draw. We haven't any news on the injury front, but hopefully we will be no worse off than last Saturday. None of our long term injured players, Alan D, Thommo and Gavin are expected to to play and there's a doubt about Cookie Munster, which means that Archie could have to switch back to defence where he is more suited. This could mean a start for Neil Lowry, alongside Sparky and Jenks, leaving Cush upfront with whoever.

Spike has tried both Jimmy Mac and Jamie in the last 2 games, only bringing on Elvis for a cameo role in the last 10 mins. By the law of averages it's surely time for Elvis to get a start and King Billy, if fit, should revel on the big Oval pitch. Of course Spike could have other ideas and may start Ally and Jimmy Mac or Jamie, but what we need is to get in to them and not let them settle. Our previous manager ,Roy Walker, enjoyed a good record at this ground, by taking the game to the Glens and this was summed up for the 'Sports team in a second leg match in the C.I.S. cup when we very nearly turned round a 4-1 deficit at the Oval, when only a handful of United fans turned up, but we gave them a fright anyway. Omar reminded us of a very old saying, 'miracles happen every day, the impossible takes a little bit longer' and we had our miracle last month at this very venue, winning the County Antrim Shield, now we need to turn the impossible into the possible and it is possible, come on Sky Blues, lets shag those wise sheep from the east (Belfast)!

Friday, December 14, 2012

Die Dog!

The shit has hit the fan as far as United is concerned,we have gone four league games and no points and it's time to put up, it's die dog or cough up the licence. The Sky Blue Sport crew are having a well earned break here in the Canary islands and when this break was planned, we were saying we're going to miss a match with United playing well. Now it doesn't seem to matter anymore, not only is United playing bad, they're are plagued by injuries. The latest in a long line of causalities is Alan D, who's going to be missing until the New Year. Thommo isn't expected back until at the earliest Boxing Day and there's no word on Gavin Taggart. The boys in the reserves and the bench are going to have to step up to the plate and be counted.

Names like Gillan and Fleming will become the norm rather than be unusual and there's going to be no hiding place for the likes of Neil Lowry who seems to blow hot and cold. There's also an opportunity for these players to establish themselves and ensure there's a real competition for places in the weeks ahead. Spike has said he wants cover for every position and wants competition for every place, but he may get this sooner than he thinks. A few short weeks ago a draw for this fixture would've been away out of question, now in the light of the last few results, it'll be heralded like a victory. A draws not out of the question but we need everybody playing full blast and dedicated to the cause. Go out and play as if your lives depended on it and let's shag the boys from County Armagh!

Friday, December 07, 2012

Hard Aport!

It's a strange title but certainly in our opinion, sums up the difficulty United are going to face tomorrow when they take on Ronnie McFall's Portadown. After an indifferent start, they are starting to improve, judging by last weeks draw with league leaders Chickenville and 'we definitely' know how difficult they can be to get points off. In ace marksman Kevin Braniff, they have a potential match-winner and he will need to be watched closely, or better still, the supply cut off to him, in short it's time for our midfielders to start doing their job. Over the last three league games they have been largely dominated and it's time they were getting their collective fingers out and doing their job. With this in mind, we reiterate what we been saying for the past number of weeks, we don't think we can afford Thommo and Alan D in the same midfield. Returning Captain, Alan Jenks is not an out and out ball-winner, but unlike Thommo and Alan D, he can adjust his game to suit what is required.

Thommo was subbed at halftime last week and we at 'Sport thought it was a tactical substitution, but it seems he had picked up an injury and maybe he'll not be fit for tomorrow, in which case Jenks would be the perfect man to take over his role in the team. Was that Elvis swan song last week at DC? We hope not, for we think he still has plenty to give the team, but he can't do it on his own, better somebody up with him, even if its only Cush or Billy, but that seems to Spike's tactics. The referee tomorrow is our old friend 'ham shank' Brian Courtney, who needs no introduction to Sky Blue fans and we feel sure he'll be as controversial as ever, there's an old saying that the 'leopard can change its spots' and that's also true about ham shank. Our two central defenders, Cookie and Archie, will need to be careful about how they tackle in the box, for Murray of Portadown is a master of the dive and ham shank has been known to fooled plenty of times.

As it is a corporate lunch tomorrow we could see a sizeable crowd and added to that the Boxing Day tickets will be on sale, for the match with the Coleraine scum, so we could see even more spectators through the gate and the County Antrim Shield might be on display too. We all know from experience how United tend to 'lie down' when they're playing in front of a big crowd, but they banished that statistic with their Shield win eleven days ago in front of 3,000 or so spectators. What a night that was and this is the teams first match back at the Showgrounds since then. In our last home match before the Chickenville debacle, we accounted for the Crues and sent them back to the city with their tails between their legs and we need to repeat the dose tomorrow and send the Ports back to the lost city of Craigavon, pointless as well. We know its going to be tough, but when its tough the tough get going, so come on Sky Blues, lets shag those apple pickers!

Saturday, December 01, 2012

Let's Capitalise!

After their winning performance at the Oval in beating the IFA/Linfield in a penalty shoot-out, the victorious United return to the mundane task of garnering league points at the home of D C. United and their supporters will be able lock horns, so to speak, with an old adversary in D C manager Packy McAllister. Only last week Packy was threatening to have a clear-out of his under-performing players and it will be interesting to see what sort of a reaction he gets tomorrow. We hope the United boys aren't suffering from any illusions, D C will be looking to put one over on the trophy winners, make no mistake about that and we have to be professional and up for this as we were up for the Shield final on Tuesday night. Cookie, who had to go off injured on Tuesday may be a slight doubt, but he is as 'hard as nails' and if he is fit we would expect him to play and we expect Spike to name an unchanged team.

That would be harsh on Dwayne, but the manager and his assistants dropped Dwayne and his stand-in Stuarty Addis grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Once Stuarty saved David Armstrong's penalty on Tuesday night, we got goosebumps, we knew it was going to our night and when he saved Fordyce's kick we were in heaven and we haven't come down yet. So all things being equal we reckon we will see the same line-up tomorrow as that of Tuesday night. Spike demands loyalty from his players and he shows them loyalty in return, selecting them, even though some spectators think he must drop them. We thought he would have to change his formation on Tuesday as Alan D had a less than impressive match at Windsor, but he kept the same line-up and he was rewarded by a near perfect display from his charges, Alan D included. Selection sorted, so come on Sky Blues, let's shag those Suffolk ewes!