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Drumaness Mills...2
Malachians...........3
DRUMANESS Mills flattered to deceive before falling to their first
defeat of the season at Meadowvale.
Away draws against Comber Rec (0-0) and Downpatrick FC (1-1) in the
first two games of the season should have provided the springboard
for a big home performance on Saturday, but manager Donal Bell was
left exasperated as his side suffered a second half collapse.
Neil Walsh gave Drumaness a 16th minute lead, but a defensive error
handed James Moore the equaliser in the 57th minute. Malachians were
then reduced to 10 men before Paul Walsh restored the Mills’ lead
with a real corker.
Everything then went pear-shaped for Drumaness as Malachians took
control and goals from Peter Corr and Mickey Smyth gave them all
three points.
The Mills went into the game without the injured Peter Withnell
(knee), Brendan Ward (ankle) and Paul Burns (groin) and the
unavailable Owen Wright and Kevin Duffin, but even with four players
under the age of 19 in their squad, they started the game with
purpose and menace.
They were playing some attractive ground football with Donal
Kennedy, Gavin McEvoy, Paul Walsh and Neil Walsh leading the way.
However, with 16 minutes gone Drumaness took a route one approach to
goal and when goalkeeper Mickey Watson launched a monster of a
clearance towards the Malachians box, Kennedy was perfectly placed
to redirect the kick across the face of the box for Neil Walsh to
stab in the opener.
With 30 minutes gone Kennedy played a delightful pass in behind the
Malachians cover for Paddy McDonnell to run on to, but with only the
goalkeeper to beat the Mills right back shot straight at Stephen
Logan, who made a good save.
A minute later Neil Walsh sliced his way through the heart of the
visitors’ defence with a sizzling run, but he also had a strike
blocked it seemed that a goal was a certainty.
The Mills were to pay dearly for these two misses.
Malachians came out for the second half with purpose and took the
game to the Mills, who just didn’t get going after the break.
The visitors should have been awarded a penalty in the 48th minute
when John Connolly, who had replaced Shane Gorman at the break, took
out Moore in the box when he tried to get on the end of a cross from
Smyth, but the referee ignored Malachians’ appeals and a minute
later McDonnell did well to head a goalbound effort from Moore away
from the danger zone.
The Mills had now lost the plot and Watson had to save well from
Danny Bell before Malachians had a player sent off after picking up
two yellow cards.
This should have been curtains for Malachians, but they failed to
read the script.
With 57 minutes gone the Mills back four were caught out of position
and Moore nipped in to beat Watson with a clinical finish.
Drumaness responded immediately and Neil Walsh showed great
determination to lay the ball into the path of Paul Walsh and the
Mills captain produced a sublime finish from 20 yards out to make it
2-1.
Back came Malachians and two minutes later Watson could only fetch
fresh air when he came off his line to collect a free kick from
Toner and Corr had the simple task of heading the ball into an empty
net.
Things went from bad to worse for the Mills when Mark McCourt put
the ball on a plate for Smyth with a scything cross-field pass and
he raced away to make it 3-2 in the 77th minute.
The Mills tried to get back in the game, but the Malachians defence
got stronger and stronger as the game went on and they held out for
an impressive win.
Drumaness Mills: M. Watson, P. McDonnell, S. Gorman, A. Kelly, K.
Rogan, G. McEvoy, D. Kennedy, P. Walsh, B. McIlmurray, N. Walsh, G.
Murdock. Subs: S. Melville, J. Connolly, D. McQuoid.
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