17-07-06: FK Ulf Sandnes (a) 2-1 (HT 1-1) Crowd (1,500)

Programme

United had to fight hard to finish on top in their second game of their Norwegian tour in a game that was played in teeming ran which made conditions uncondusive to play football. The wet ball and even wetter playing surface made any pretence to constructive football, by either side, a virtual impossiblity. Coupled with that and the high cup-final type scenario with which the home team viewed the game and it was little wonder that robust physical challenges were part of the armoury of the home team. Sandnes defender Espen Maidal left his mark on both Steve Stone and David Healy in the early exchanges and it was the home side who took the lead after twenty minutes when Ben Parker was dispossessed on the halfway line by a crunching tackle and Norland Kiehl took advantage to deliver a superb curling shot which gave Neil Sullivan no chance. The goal fired up the 1,500 crowd and they roared on their favourites. But United slowly got back into the game and both Dan Harding and Matthew Kilgallon were denied by fine saves from Geir Valland in the Sandnes goal. But finally it was Eirik Bakke who got them back in the game when he rose to head a fine Gary Kelly cross into the net in first-half injury time. Kevin Blackwell waited until the sixty-eighth minute before he made all five changes to his starting eleven. Australian trialist Hayden Foxe replaced Matthew Kilgallon in central defence, while in midfield he brought on Frazer Richardson for Steve Stone and Sebastien Carole for Eirik Bakke then changed both striker as Jermaine Beckford came on for Rob Hulse and Robbie Blake replaced David Healy. Robbie Blake soon showed his class and scored after being on the pitch for just eight minutes, when he coolly applied the finishing touch from close range after there had been a patient build-up.