The 1sts travelled to East Belfast and were very unlucky to come out losers in a seven goal thriller. Twice they led through goals from Ian McMullan but unfortunately a late brace of goals saw them denied a share of the spoils. A late penalty by David Kelly could not be bettered.
Players and club members are reminded that club memberships are now due and should be paid as soon as possible.
United went into this match on the back of a series of cup defeats and were anxious to get back on the winning trail in this league encounter. Whilst a number of the more experienced players were back in action the team was missing Paul Dickson and Craig Bowman through suspension, JJ Carlisle now off to University, Scott Brashaw and Gareth Bingham both unavailable whilst Gregg Allison is injured. The visitors who were quite a youthful team got off to a great start when they went ahead after one minute when a long cross from the right wing was headed into the net via the post. Things got worst inside ten minutes when a clearance broke kindly for their centre forward and he smashed the ball past Brian McMullan who had no chance of saving it.
The home team were shelled shocked and they really never got going and could on several occasions have fallen further behind had it not been for timely interventions from the defensive line up of Ross Hayes, David Boal, Ethan Majury and Craig McMullan and a number of fine saves from goalkeeper Brian McMullan.
The second half started poorly with United taking some time to get into the game until a positional changes were effected with Stuart McMullan moving to the left side of midfield and Herron to left back, The impact was almost immediate as United increasingly got on the attack however the visitors held resolute frustrating them until late in the game.
McMullan and Herron were proving a handful on the left side and it was they who created the opening that led to United’s first goal and for which Grove paid a heavy penalty. In the 80th minute Aaron McCaffrey was put through by McMullan and he was pulled back by the Grove number 5 and as it was his second booking he was red carded. From the resulting free kick on the edge of the penalty Dalton Tate shot home through a space in the defensive wall.
Buoyed on United pressed forward with midfielders David Kelly, Gavin Crawford and Dalton Tate seeing a lot of the ball and finding more openings and from a corner the ball broke free for McMullan to stroke the ball into the net from close to the penalty spot. The game was now into injury time but as there was a fair bit of additional time due to time wasting United pressed forward. In the 92nd minute McMullan eased the ball away from the Grove goalkeeper on the left hand side of the penalty area and he swivelled close to the bye line close to the six yard box to find Gavin Crawford running in and crashing the ball into the net.
In the closing minutes Grove pressed to get an equaliser but United held the ball from them to secure a vital three points.
This week United travel to East Belfast for a league game.
United got their 2014/15 season underway with a nail biting 1 – 1 draw at the Millbridge.
It was nail biting purely from the perspective that the team and their supporters had to wait until the 92nd minute for their equaliser as the visitors had taken the lead in the 75th minute against the run of play.
United began the day quite purposeful with Gavin Crawford and Stuart McMullan in attacking roles with Craig Bowman, Dalton Tate, David Kelly, Paul Dickson and Adam Herron working tirelessly in midfield. Scoring opportunities proved rare but Paul Dickson went close on a couple of occasions almost flicking the ball into the net from a Tate freekick and then driving a shot narrowly wide just before half time.
The second half was pretty much played out in the centre of the field with very few scoring opportunities however Wellington Recreation who had a few experienced campaigners in their ranks took the lead when a United attack broke up and the ball found their right winger. He passed it into the path of their centre forward who seemed to take the ball to close to the bye line however he managed to squeeze the ball into the net passed a surprised Brian McMullan.
Scot Brashaw moved into central midfield and with JJ Carlisle, Gareth McMullan and Aaron McCaffrey introduced into the fray United pressed for the equaliser. This left United a little vulnerable at the back and Brian McMullan had to come to the teams rescue with a fine save.
As the game went into injury time and the referee’s book was filling up with the names of Wellington players generally for time wasting and kicking the ball away tactics United won a corner. Up came keeper Brian McMullan and as the ball was floated into the area it was headed downward and McCaffrey got a touch to send the ball into the net. Moments later the same player almost gave United all three points when David Kelly sent him free on goal but his low shot was cleared by the Wellington keeper.
At the end of the day neither team really deserved all three points so a share of the spoils was about right. The two teams meet again next Saturday in Larne.
United entertained the relegation threatened Hollywood F.C. in this league encounter and they secured all three points with a battling performance.
The first half was generally poor with United having the lion share of the play however they could not find the elusive first goal despite laying siege to the Hollywood goal mouth. United midfield of Carlisle, Brashaw, Ian Boal, Cheevers and Herron worked tirelessly reducing the visitors to occasional breakaways but despite a number of surges forward they never really troubled Brian McMullan in the home goal.
Despite what was a frustrating first half it was United who went ahead on the stroke of half time thanks to the persistence of Ian McMullan who chased a back pass charging down the keeper’s clearance which cannoned off his body into the net.
In the early stages of the second half the visitors pegged United back with Hayes, Davy Boal and Herron, who dropped back into defence for Stuart McMullan who took a knock late in the first half and was replaced at half time by Lee Maxwell.
Having repelled Hollywood’s early dominance United started to get back into the game and they increased their lead on the hour mark when a shot from Ian Boal was parried by the visiting keeper and as the alert Maxwell pounced on the loose ball he was brought down and referee Hazzard gave a penalty. Up stepped Aaron Cheevers to fire the ball into the net. Ten minutes later United had the game wrapped up when Lee Maxwell ran in on goal and passed the ball under the advancing keeper and into the net.
United penned Hollywood into their own half and following some excellent passing exchanges on the right wing Cheevers chipped the ball into the penalty area and Ian McMullan rose high to glance the ball into the net to make the score 4-0.
Next week United travel to Newtownards to take on 1st Bangor Old Boys.
United travelled to the Shore Road, Belfast on Saturday for this league encounter with Grove United – a team who they have not played for a number of years. A strong wind blowing across the pitch made play difficult throughout, however United coped with the conditions much better than they had expected.
The game was end to end throughout with plenty of chances being created by both teams however United’s defence of Hayes, Carlisle and Stuart McMullan provided excellent cover to keeper Brian McMullan.
United opened the scoring on 20 minutes when Johnny Gibson scored a thirty yard screamer of a free kick which gave the Grove keeper no chance. United were very much in the ascendency at this stage with their midfield of Crawford, Ian Boal, Brashaw and Cheevers creating opening for the runs of Gibson and Jackson.
On the half hour mark Ian Boal had a penalty brilliantly saved by the Grove keeper after Gibson had been upended.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first however the slender 1 goal lead never seemed like it would be enough but the introduction of Ian McMullan, Greg Allison and Lee Maxwell gave United a fresh impetus and they were able to get the upper hand with a good finish from Ian McMullan.
United entertain Grove United at Millbridge this Saturday with a 2.00pm kick off.
