Closing Victory!

The curtain will come down on yet another ‘fruitless’ season at the Showgrounds tomorrow, when United entertain Newry City, kick-off 3pm. This will be Newry’s first visit under their new manager, Gerry Flynn, who needs no introduction to Sky Blue fans as he spent a couple of seasons at United under former manager Kenny Shiels. Gerry, who later joined United’s fierce rivals (the Coleraine Scum), will be assured of a ‘warm’ reception from the home fans. United need to win and win convincingly if they are to progress up the table, with at least one place within their grasp, no matter how the other games go. With that in mind we expect manager Tommy Wright to field his strongest team, which should be last week’s eleven, minus young keeper Sean O’Neill who should give way to regular custodian Paul Murphy. It will be interesting to see if Fitzy, who has missed several sitters in his last two games retains his place alongside Kevin Kelbie, or whether the United manager goes for Paul Brown instead. Teletext reported today that Kevin Kelbie was intent on staying with the Sky Blues next season, but finance will no doubt have to be found if he is to fly in every week from Scotland. As this is our last game of the season, it would be nice to see United veteran Nigel Boyd get a start, but somehow we doubt it and as it is our last game, we, the Sky Blue Sport team, are not overly optimistic about tomorrow’s outcome either. But surely United will want to end the season on a high, especially after the disappointments they have heaped on us once again this term. So for the last time, until next season at least, ‘Come on Sky Blues, let’s shag those Carlingford, Lougher’s’!

Picking Licking!

As United go into their penultimate match, Sky Blue fans could be excused for thinking there’s nothing much to play for. But, believe it or not, fifth place in the league is still (well mathematically speaking it is), a possibility for us. With Donegal Celtic ensuring Premier league survival with a 2-1 victory over Dungannon Swifts tonight, we are only 4 points adrift of the Swifts and 3 points tomorrow against already relegated Loughgall should be within our capabilities. That said, our record against so called lesser teams leaves a lot to be desired, as demonstrated as recently as Easter Tuesday in a ‘couldn’t care less display’ at Donegal Celtic. Surely the real United team will turn out tomorrow, they are playing for their future participation in a Sky Blue jersey after all. With the young United reserve team doing so well in the reserve league, surely the time has come to ‘weed out’ some of the dead wood from our non-performing staff. Unfortunately we have no team news for you as our contact has failed to deliver the goods on this occasion. David Cushley is a definite non-starter, according to Teletext, but Aiden Watson and Stuart King are available and hopefully Kevin Kelbie is available also. As for the rest of the panel, it’s a case of ‘perm any 12 from 16’, minus the ‘injured’ Patrick and Melaugh. We are even beginning to sound ‘lethargic’ now ourselves, so for the ‘penultimate’ time this season, ‘Come on Sky Blues, let’s shag those apple pickers!’

Winning Formula!

United manager Tommy Wright will hope that his players have put Easter Tuesday’s debacle against Donegal Celtic behind them. A repeat performance in the Derby game away to the Coleraine Scum would result in United fans voting with their feet in the remaining two home league games. Much thought will go into team selection, but one man looks sure to return, team Captain Albert Watson. With Messers Melaugh, Patrick, King and McConaghie still missing through injury and Randal Reid serving a one match suspension the United manager must select from a reduced senior panel. Nigel Boyd is reportedly injured also and the United supremo has added Daley Carnduff to his panel. There’s a feeling that United will use the system deployed against the Blues in the cup replay, on paper a 4, 3, 3, formation, but in reality a 4, 5, 1, with the two wide men linking up with the striker during attacks. This system was successfully employed by former United manager Alan Frazer, with Barry Patton as the lone striker, ably backed up by winger Peter Murray and the impressive Phillip Knell. The present United panel have a long way to go before they can ‘lace the boots’ of that immortal threesome. But we digress, tomorrow is the last chance for United to salvage something from this season, one of the poorest for some considerable time, failing to make it to the last four of any competition and finishing in the bottom half of the league added insult to injury for the ‘long suffering’ Sky Blue fans. It was disappointing to hear the catcalls directed at the United manager last Tuesday, but in our opinion, they were completely justified. That level of performance was just not good enough and a complete turnaround tomorrow must be witnessed. So come on Sky Blues, let’s shag those stinking gas men, nothing short of an emphatic victory will suffice!

Suffolk Lambs!

United make their first ever visit to Donegal Celtic tomorrow, kick-off 3pm, full of confidence after their demolition of Larne last Saturday. We at ‘Sport can’t help thinking that the D.C. (familiar name for the local team), will be no pushover in their own backyard and hopefully United will give this fixture the respect it deserves. Barring serious injuries, we expect the United manager to make very few changes from his starting line-up against Larne. This will give team Captain Albert Watson and Co a bit more time to recover full fitness as they’ll be needed for the next game away to the Coleraine scum. But we digress, back to tomorrow’s game at Suffolk, where United have played at least once before in a friendly during the close season against Cliftonville, who needed a warm up game for the Inter Toto cup. United might just have a survivor from that game, veteran Nigel Boyd, but the chances of the Cullybackey man getting a start tomorrow are slim indeed. United manager Tommy Wright, in common with most managers we have to add, seems reluctant to drop any of his new players in favour of players of Boydie’s class and natural ability. We, the ‘Sports team, feel that this failure to face facts could be the former International keeper’s downfall, in the ‘so called’, United manager’s hot seat. Hopefully he’ll get the balance right (or should that be Wright), for United’s remaining four games and we’ll pocket the remaining 12 points on offer, starting with 3 points tomorrow at the D.C.. So come on Sky Blues, let’s shag those Suffolk sheep!

Rat Catchers!

With winger Stuart King and United Captain Albert Watson both facing late fitness tests tomorrow, it’s not clear what United’s team will be for the County Antrim derby at home to Larne. Cup-tied Stephen Lowry and teenager reserve player David Cushley have been added to the United panel and with the United manager intending to ‘blood’ some of the younger players over the closing weeks of the league campaign, both may get the nod for tomorrow’s game. One thing for sure tomorrow is that the Larne boys will be chasing the 3 points that would lift them closer to league safety. United on the other hand have very little to play for except pride, as its hard to see them lifting themselves into the top half of the league with only five games remaining. Even though there’s little at stake for the home team, it would be nice to see a decent crowd for the game for if the worst comes to the worst, it could be Larne’s last visit to the Showgrounds for a season or two. We at ‘Sport are still hoarse from last week, but we’ll be back shouting our heads off tomorrow, as if nothing has happened. So ‘come on Sky Blues, let’s shag those Harbour rats!’