Old Friends!

Hows that old Jim Reeves song go, 'old friends, can't hold a candle to you' and the Sky Blue Sport's crew, hope United supporters will be singing this song about their beloved Sky Blues come 5 o'clock tomorrow. Well we took a liberty with the words, its 'flames' not friends, so we hope you'll forgive us  our deliberate mistake. The Friends in question are two former United players, the play anywhere, Mark Sparky Surgenor and Rangers manager, our beloved ex-Captain Gary Haveron.

Gazza has worked miracles at Carrick since he took over and will be out to put one over us, as he strives to get his team further up the table and safe from relegation. With only ten points from 13 games so far, Gazza, knows that will take more than three times that amount of points to make his team safe from automatic relegation. With only 4 points separating the two sides, United in 9th and Carrick in 10th, this game could be already described as a six-point game.

The draw for the semi-finals of the Toals County Antrim Shield, takes place tomorrow at half-five and could pit the two sides against each other for another match in early December. Therefore, whoever wins tomorrows tie will gain the upper hand so to speak, with that game in mind, but as we well know in cup football, form counts for nothing. Will Fergie bring the suspended Tippers and young Matty, who was rested on Tuesday night, back into his starting line-up, that is the 64$ question?

Who makes way for them if he decides they should play, is another question, but Spike, is not afraid to make the tough decisions when he feels he needs to. According to reports the Taylor's Avenue pitch is not conductive to good football, but we believe that is the same for both teams and whoever wants it the most, will surely claim the 3 points. But the game, like that at the Showgrounds at end of August could finish with the points shared.

United have a mini run going, only two games we know, but big trees from little acorns grow and we could be seeing the start of a run of games and boy do we need them. Carrick and manager Gazza, will be out to stop us in our tracks and we will have to be prepared to battle them into submission. There's danger-men on the Carrick team, but we have our own danger-men in Tippers, Matty and Cush and we just hope we don't get any penalties to miss. So come On Sky Blues, lets shag those Carrick sheep!

Battle Lines!

There's no getting away from the fact that it will be a battle tomorrow night, in the Toals County Antrim Shield, quarter-final, against the hatchet men at Seaview. Having lost to Institute, in the JBE league cup earlier this month, we expect Mister Ugly (Crues manager Stephen Baxter), to select a strong side and we will have to ready for a pitched battle. But if everybody plays like they mean business, we could spring a surprise on the reigning NIPL Champions.

But it will be a tall order, made especially tough by the sending-off of United's top scorer, Tippers, last Saturday, which means he'll have to sit out this game, due to his automatic one game ban. Will it mean a recall for Darhen, or has Spike, got something else in mind, like resting young Matty, promoting Maggers and bringing back the Barber.  Maggers, is little short of pace, but he makes up for it with his incisive passing and football brain.

So in fact Spike, could go with no recognised striker as such and depend on Cush and Co, to exert pressure as they see fit. But he's far more likely, to go with a 4,3,3, formation, which maybe will suit the narrow Seaview pitch. According to the weather forecast, we can expect blustery conditions and heavy rain, so we can expect plenty of hoof ball from the Crues, but nothing new there. Its going to be hard going, but if we want it bad enough, we have a chance, so come on Sky Blues, lets shag those Seaview sheep!

Swift Justice!

Reportedly the United board, have swiftly banned two troublemakers from attending United games. We at 'Sport think that's swift justice, if indeed the two lads were abusing players relatives, we have no time for that, but we think we need to hear their side of the story. At tomorrows opponents ground, Stangmore Park, our own Omar, got on the wrong side of a relative (Mother), of a player and had to eat humble pie and learnt a valuable lesson and then some

If you know there are relatives sitting or standing in your vicinity, better to sing dumb than start an unsavoury rumpus or get anyone's back-up. But in the heat of the moment its easy to say something that you later regret or somebody takes it personal or mishears which happens too often, when we use our Ballymena, tongue. Roy McCreadie, Newry manager, thought we were saying something altogether different when we called him  a 'thieving love-child'.

But enough about our troubles off the pitch, we need to get back to winning ways on the pitch and we need to start taking our chances. Stephen Alexander, of the Ballymena Times, reckons that Glenavon  goalkeeper Tuffey's penalty save from Cush was the best he has ever seen. But we at 'Sport watched it on TV and Tuffey, was halfway across his goal before Cush, struck the spot kick, but D H Crangle was never going to order the kick to be taken again.

United should have come home with the points and Cush, should have come home with the match ball, never mind the penalty save. But Cush, in all fairness to him is not a recognised striker, he's a midfielder that scores goals and as such needs to be watched closely, but alas not last Saturday. Young Matty, was a shadow of himself too and he needs to get back to doing what he's good at, tying defenders up in knots and putting the ball in the net.

As usual we don't have a clue as to our line-up, but won't be surprised if Fergie, picks the same team as last Saturday, if everyone's fit. That means that we will have a passenger in our team in Willie Faulkner, who in our opinion brings nothing to the team. Lets hope he makes us eat our words tomorrow and is the star of the show, but we will be very surprised. So come on Sky Blues, get your shooting boots on tomorrow and send those Chicken stuffers away empty handed!

Crangle Rangle!

It had to happen after 11 league games and 3 knock-out games, we drew the short straw and got Raymond D.H. Crangle, to referee the game at Lurgan tomorrow. Who can forget his disgraceful performance at the two major cup-finals involving United, sending off Thommo for a waist high challenge at  the 2014 Irish cup final against tomorrow's opponents and denying United a cast iron penalty in last season's League cup final against Chickenville, when the score was 2-2.

But we can't do anything about that, the IFA has taken it out of our hands, so to speak and we'll just have to get on with it. With Tony and Mike (Ruddy), returning from suspension our manager Spike, should have a full panel to select from. Will he be tempted to go with height, picking Kyley, who has been filling in at rightback for a game and a half, to combat Glenavon's aerial challenge or has he worked on some other ploy in training or just trusting to luck as ever?

These and other questions will be answered come ten to five tomorrow afternoon. All reports seem to suggest we rode our luck at Limavady, but we beat them and are in the next round, more than can be said about tomorrows opponents. With a lot of fallers on last Wednesday night, we are just two wins away for a potentially money-spinner this season again. But its league points we crave even more and we haven't tasted victory at Lurgan for 3 seasons, so tomorrow we  got to be up for the tie.

Matty, who came on for the last quarter at Limavady, should start tomorrow and its not known if Tippers, was just rested on Wednesday or if he's injured. But if he's fit, he could get the nod to partner Matty, therefore releasing Cush to wide left. Spike, seems to be trying Thommo and Jenks as his central midfield pairing but we at 'Sport and a fair number of Sky Blue fans, think this partnership is vulnerable to pace and Glenavaon, have got loads of pace.

The rest of the team more or less picks itself, if Spike, tends to go with old back-four, of Captain Jimer, Ruddy, JT and Rodger, Kyley will drop down to the bench. That only leaves right-midfield where the choices are, Tony, Faulkner and the Barber. We would pick Tony or the Barber for their long throw-ins and dead-ball kicking. But on the other hand Faulkner, gives us a striking option that's not be discounted, so come Sky Blues, lets shag these Mourneviewers!

Roe Woe!

The Sky Blues travel to the Roe valley tomorrow night, to take on Championship 2 side, Limavady United in a JBE league cup 3rd round game. This game couldn't have come at a worse time for the sorry Sky Blues, who just lost by a narrow margin at Portadown on Saturday past and had a man sent-off for the fourth time this season. A sending-off which leaves them struggling for fullbacks, with two, Ruddy and Tony, suspended and one, veteran Steeky, injured and looking doubtful.

Our manager, Spike, was at pains at the club AGM, to explain that he had cover for every position, but even he could not envisaged this scenario. His versatile Capitan Jimer, has a-play-anywhere attitude, but in the absence of Tony, we think Spike, would want Jimer at righback. If Craig Gardiner is still on our books, he could come into the reckoning but if not, maybe Cush could drop back, we're clutching at straws here, aren't we?

Nathan Handley, who was signed with the intention of using his versatility, had an operation last week and can be ruled out for the foreseeable future. We suppose Fergie, could draft Paddy Mac into the team and Rodger could play at leftback, but it would be risky to say the least, as Paddy's confidence is shot to pieces and that's a fact. Young Matty, is available for selection, but will Glenn, choose to rest him and leave him fresh for this Saturday?

We got to the final of this competition last season and if we can see off Limavady, they'll be every reason to hope that a second final in a row is a distinct possibility. But its going to a tough ask and no doubt they will be up for it, they usually are and its going to be no match for the faint-hearted. We expect plenty of hard tackles, but with a fair ref, we can mix it with the best of them. Unfortunately, it looks likely we wont be there, Omar is indisposed, so come on Sky Blues, lets shag these Roesiders!

Two Out!

If the Sky Blues want to get back to winning ways tomorrow at Shamrock Park, against Portadown, they will have to do it minus two regulars, as Mike Ruddy, starts a two-game suspension and young Matty, is away with the Norn Iron under-19 squad in Iceland. We aren't privy to the knowledge of Darhen's fitness and if he's not available to partner Tippers, it could mean Cush or Jenks slotting in, in Matty's enforced absence.

That alone should make a tough task even harder and even though the Ports have not been firing on all cylinders this season so far, old Ronnie, will have them up for this game and guard against Ports falling out of the top six. This game sees the Sky Blues play against the Ports for the first time, since the Ports mauled them in Irish cup semi-final last season, but we'd like to point out that game was on a neutral venue and not at Shamrock Park.

United's record at the home of the Ports is not that good, but who can forget the last game between them at the Ports home, when they shared 10 goals between them. On chances alone United should won 9-7, but football is all about taking chances, rather than creating them. We reckon our manager Spike, would settle for a one goal victory, preferably 1-0 or 2-1, but he'll settle for what we can get and we're in complete agreement with him on that score.

The view afforded to visitors at Portadown, is jaundiced to say the least and along with Chickenville, they're the worst in the league, but we are only supporters and who gives a damn about us, not the IFA or the NIFL, we, after all are unimportant. We have a choice, its either go and support our team or stay at home and sad to say most Sky Blue fans will settle for the latter choice. But we'll be there come hell or high water, so come on Sky Blues, let's shag those orchard pickers!

Crues Control!

United go into the game tomorrow undefeated in their last 7 games, but in that time we haven't been too convincing, except for the Chickenville game. But that game was a one-off and at least Tommy Breslin, saw the writing on the wall and resigned. Tomorrow we take on Champions Crues, who haven't been beaten since early August and they'll be our toughest test since we went on this unbeaten run.

That said, they're missing three key players in Heatley, Forsythe and Captain Coates and although they've got players to come in, those three are going to be missed and it gives us a glimmer of hope. But we'll still need to be at the top of our game, we can't afford any passengers and with that in mind our manager Spike, needs to pick his strongest side.

As usual we didn't get a heads-up about injuries, so we don't know if Gareth Rodger, is fit again, or if indeed he wasn't fit last week, or he was just rested. But if the Scotsman is fit, we would expect him to play and our manager just has to decide who to leave out, between Tony and Faulkner. Ex-Captain Jenks, has been below par in our last two games, but we fully expect him to play tomorrow.

We will need leaders on the pitch tomorrow and Jenks fits in to that category very nicely, as well as Tippers and current team Captain, Jimer. The Crues are not renowned for their football, they are for the most part a 'hoof ball' side, but when they inevitably get secondary possession, they can stroke about very nicely and we have got to prepared for that scenario.

If we starve their forwards of clear-cut chances, especially Owens and get passes through to Tippers and young Matty, we maybe can surprise them, but it'll be tough and bruising and we're stuck with referee Ian McNabb, who knows all about the rules, but he's afraid to administer them. We can't expect any help there, we've got to do it on our own, so come on Sky Blues, lets shag those paper Tigers!