SWINGS and roundabouts is a term often used in footballing parlance, though UUJ might not have expected them to swing around so soon.

Last week, remember, Fra Miskelly's side rescued a league point at Sport and Leisure when Paul Berne scored with the last kick. Up the Shankill on Saturday, however, the boot was on the other foot, with United snatching a last gasp winner, just when UUJ were gearing their mindsets towards penalties.

And the psychological edge would surely have been with UUJ in a shoot out as they had played most of the second half, and the whole of extra time, with only nine men. Debutant Sean McMahon was first to go around the hour mark, but felt hard one by, insisting that his somewhat uncomplimentary remarks were directed at an individual on the Shankill touchline and not referee Mr David Redfern, who has made a swift return out of retirement, having originally intended to act as assessor this season.

Five minutes later UUJ's ten were reduced to nine, when Brendan Mooney did deliberately speak to the referee, though was presumably speaking out of turn in questioning Mr Redfern on how he failed to whistle what the defender felt should have been a blatant offside decision.

Even then, the nine men almost pinched it right at the end of normal time, had Anto Hughes, just six yards out, not headed a Paul Darby free kick over the bar.

In extra time, it was a case of manning the trenches but, with the seconds ticking away, UUJ looked to have done enough, and again felt somewhat aggrieved in that they were trying to attract Mr Redfern's attention, to make a substitution with Michael Dobbin down injured, only for Shankill to storm through and notch that late late winner. A hammer blow indeed for UUJ at the Hammer!

Next Saturday, UUJ travel to Kilmore Rec in the Steel and Sons Cup.

UUJ: Browne – Mooney, Berne, Dobbin, Darby – Hughes, Murphy, McCullough, McAlea – McStravick, McMahon. Subs (unused), McGuinness, Burns, C McKeown.