Stang(no)more!

There used to be a time when United played Dungannon Swifts, either home or away, you could count on a spirited performance, say leading 2-1 or 3-2 and then we would eventually collapse and lose the game by the odd goal. Not anymore and we proved that on Tuesday night, in spite of being second to every ball for the first 20 mins, we turned the game on its head and ran out 3-2 winners, with new signings Jimer and Darboy scoring two of goals and it was no more than our play deserved. Sure we even could enjoy the luxury of our talisman Cush, missing a sitter that would been the icing on the cake, but we took the three points anyway and consolidated our 6th place in the Dankse Premier league.

Although we didn't set the world alight at Stangmore on Tues night, we played immensely better that we did at Tillysburn Park in the cup against the Welders. How we got a draw there beggars belief, but we somehow survived and not only did our new signing Darboy score on his debut, but it was his first score in an Irish cup tie, a double celebration for him. The teams were drawn out of the hat for the next round by United defender Archie's dad, Alfie Stewart, but he couldn't get United a home draw (if they beat the Welders in a replay) or  an easy one. The winners of the tie between the Welders and United, played at the Showgrounds next Tuesday Jan 21, will face Linfield at Windsor Park, it doesn't get any harder than that.

I don't know if we're to have the same referee in our replay, Ross Dunlop, I thought he handled the tie well last Saturday, but it will be interesting to see how Raymond Crangle conducts himself when Linfield come to town on Saturday. Crangle usually favours the city teams over United, epitomised by his pulling up of United's ex-keeper Wayne Drummond, for a back-pass, that never was, in game at Seaview against Crusaders a couple of seasons ago. Anyway the boys know what to expect from the refs when playing their team, in a word, nothing. Norman Clarke the 'Ballymena Boy' is going to meet me for lunch at a hostelry in the Ballymena area and I'm looking forward that immensely and we'll chat about old times and remember United teams of old and then we'll go and see United beat those townies, Linfield, COSB!!!