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!