|
Drumaness Mills 5
Downpatrick FC 2
DRUMANESS Mills rocked Downpatrick to the core when they hit them
with a bunch of fives at Meadowvale on Saturday.
This win lifts the Mills out of the bottom two in the Premier
Section, but has severely dented Downpatrick's bid to win the
Jefferson Cup for the second time in three years.
Downpatrick, who were playing in their first competitive game since
the Steel and Sons Cup final on Christmas morning, started like a
runaway train.
With just four minutes gone Peter Turley put Adam George through on
goal. The teenage striker slipped the ball under the body of
goalkeeper Ryan Campbell, but Aidy Kelly managed to prevent the ball
from going over the line.
Drumaness' luck ran out a minute later when Andrew Telford slipped
the ball into an empty net after being played in by Stephen
Galbraith.
Drumaness then shocked Downpatrick in the 10th minute when Brian
McIlmurray ran onto a long ball out of defence and slid the ball
under Ryan Slavin to make it 1-1.
Downpatrick had a lucky escape in the 12th minute when the
outstanding Gavin McEvoy fired narrowly wide after dispossessing
Barry Fitzsimons on the edge of the box.
A severely weakened Drumaness side continued to cause Downpatrick on
the break with McIlmurray and McEvoy both dangerous on the break.
Downpatrick almost went ahead on the half hour mark when George
raced to the line and crossed for Telford, but he was denied by
Campbell.
A minute later Drumaness had a goal disallowed when the referee blew
for a foul on Slavin by McIlmurray.
The Mills took the lead right on the stroke of half-time when
Downpatrick failed to clear their lines. The ball was knocked back
into the box and Paddy Bell hammered it to the back of the net.
Christian Holland replaced Peter Turley at the start of the second
half following an injury to the midfielder.
Drumaness centre half Brendan Ward then gifted Downpatrick an
equaliser in the 49th minute when he inexplicably handled a cross
from the right by Fitzsimons and former Drumaness player Sean
McQuoid fired home the resultant penalty to make it 2-2.
This spurred Downpatrick on and they dominated the game for the next
10 minutes, winning a number of corners as they piled the pressure
on the Mills defence.
Galbraith almost gave Downpatrick the lead in the 67th minute when
Peter Casey nodded the ball into his path after a cross from
Holland, but he fired narrowly wide from 10 yards out.
Downpatrick's challenge then hit the skid pans in the 85th minute
when Blaine Connolly was sent off for dissent. Drumaness took full
advantage and scored three times in the last five minutes.
They seized the lead in the 86th minute when an effort from McEvoy
was deflected past Slavin and with just two minutes remaining Paul
Walsh made it 4-2 when he fired home from 12 yards out.
Drumaness weren't finished and McIlmurray compounded Downpatrick's
misery when he added a fifth goal in added time.
Drumaness Mills: R. Campbell, N. Mulholland, G. Murdock, A. Kelly,
B. Ward, P. Walsh, A. Walsh, P. Bell, B. Hughes, B. McIlmurray, G.
McEvoy. Subs: N. Gelston, K. Boyd, S. Melville.
Downpatrick FC: R. Slavin, B. Fitzsimons, B. Connolly, K. Gracey, D.
McGrady, P. Turley, S. Galbraith, P. Telford, A. George, A. Telford,
S. McQuoid. Subs: K. Trueman, P. Casey, C. Holland.
• Match sponsored by Kim On In.
|
