Bonus Point(s)!

Cast your mind back to when these fixtures in the first instalment of the Premier league season were known and the last four fixtures would see us face Glens, scum,,Reds and Blues. To anybody that has studied  United's results over the last five years in these four fixtures, it doesn't make for a pleasant read. We haven't beaten the Glens or Reds at home, for a number of years, we have only two victories over the scum in the last 18 fixtures and we haven't beaten the Blues at Windsor in the league, since Kenny Shiels was manager. Admittedly we did beat the Blues in the cup last season, but that was different.

When  we at 'Sport looked at these four fixtures, we'd saw them, rightly or wrongly, as defining our season and reckoned if we could get 5 points from them, it would be a good return. Well United surprised us and got 5 points already in the bag and we have yet to play the fabled Blues at the newly furbishe3d Windsor Park. In truth it isn't newly furbished, they have only relaid the pitch and knocked down the home stand and as consequence, we will be housed in the Alex Russell stand (or the Spion Kop stand as its most familiarly known), with a jaundiced view of proceedings.

Any reader of our column will not be in any doubt of our collective abhorrence of being stuck behind the goals to watch a game. We are of the opinion that such grounds, should be banned from staging Irish Premier league matches, except on a temporary basis and said teams forced to play their games away from home if they don't comply with spectators requirements. But as usual the IFA and NIFL don't care about the fans, as they say, they are unimportant, they will be always be there. But enough about the conditions of spectators, how about the conditions of our players?

There is a rumour abounding about that much maligned man, Gavin Taggart, who was lambasted after United's last appearance at Windsor Park in the Irish cup final in May and now 5 months later is a hero who we couldn't do without, but he is rumoured to be  injured. We don't have any proof of Gavin's fitness, we are completely in the dark, but and we do emphasise the word 'but', if he is injured, we have a ready made replacement in Sparky. Sparky was missing last week, serving a one game suspension and he should be well rested and is a near carbon copy of Gavin.

There had been a lot of speculation of including Tony Kane, if Gavin's not available, but with Captain Jenks or Thommo in centre midfield, we feel that a battling tackler like Sparky, just fits the bill. The rest of our team just picks itself and the only decision left to Spike and the three baldies is who to select alongside Sparky or Gavin, if he's fit, Thommo or Captain Jenks? Jenks scored the equalising goal in last weeks amazing comeback against Chickenville. It will be hard luck on Thommo if he's dropped, but Captain Jenks did save our blushes, so its over to you Spike. So come on Sky Blues, lets give the Linfield scum a taste of their own medicine, let's shag those villagers!