Coagh United v Lisburn Distillery (Playr-Fit Teamwear Premier Intermediate League) – Saturday 17th February 2024
A week after drawing 1-1 at New Grosvenor, Coagh United and Lisburn Distillery met at Hagan Park to do it all again.
There were two changes made to the Distillery starting eleven from the previous week, there was a welcome return to the side for top scorer, Ryan McNickle, and Robert Geddis also started with Joe Tully and Curtis Woods making way.
Distillery had a bright start to the game and five minutes played Gerard Storey saw his dangerous looking cross from the right cleared behind for a corner, from which the same player saw his attempted shot on goal blocked by a defender.
Two minutes later a well worked free kick ended with Coagh goalkeeper, Patrick Grogan, flapping at a cross into the box but the ball eventually went out for another corner. That one was cleared relatively comfortably but Johnny Angus saw his header from yet another corner from the oopposite side go just wide of the post, all this before ten minutes had been played.
Justin Grattan and Breandan O’Neill were the next to try their luck on goal but neither effort caused Grogan to much trouble and the game remained goalless.
After Distillery’s good start the home side settled, and in the 20th minute Ethan Carry did well to save a shot from the edge of the box that took a deflection on the way through and soon after Luke Taylor sent a dangerous curling cross into the box but it flashed across goal and wide of the post.
For the next 15 minutes Distillery remained on top but the closest they came to taking the lead was a Jack Berry shot from just inside the box after the referee played an advantage following a foul on McNickle but again, it was not enough to beat Grogan.
With five minutes to go before the half time interval, McNickle did well to keep the ball in play out on the left and backheeled it into the path of O’Neill, whose cross into the box took a huge deflection and despite losing his footing Grogan just about did enough to push the ball over the crossbar for a corner. The ball was delivered low into the box and seemed to catch Grogan and the Coagh defence off guard and this allowed Francis Brennan to take advantage and send the ball into the back of the net to give the Whites a deserved lead.
Coagh were almost handed a chance to equalise in first half injury time when they tried to take advantage of a poor goal kick from Carry, but the Distillery captain redeemed himself when he got a crucial hand to the ball as the attacker attempted to round him and this was enough to keep the visitors ahead at the break.
Half-Time: Coagh United 0-1 Lisburn Distillery
Distillery sought to add to their lead in the early stages of the second half and in the 51st minute Storey had a shot on goal following a good passing move, but this was blocked by a defender and deflected back into the path of McNickle who, unable to get a shot off, managed to win a corner.
Storey took the corner, and it was met by the head of Brennan, but his header was cleared away by a defender and back out to Storey who lit rip with a shot that Grogan could only parry but claimed the ball at the second attempt.
The next effort on goal of note was in the 68th minute for the home side, who had won a free kick out on the right almost on the byline, but the ball was headed just over the Distillery crossbar.
Four minutes later McNickle and Berry linked up as the visitors attempted to counterattack but the former’s shot on goal was blocked by the legs of a recovering Coagh defender.
In the 76th minute Carry was tested by a long-range Zach Ferson effort, that again took a deflection, but the Whites ‘keeper was equal to it and was called into action three minutes later, making a fine save from a header low to his left after a long throw was launched into the Distillery penalty area.
Coagh continued to pile on the pressure and Carry came to the rescue once again when Tyler Anderson shot from inside the box after the Distillery defence struggled to clear their lines from a cross but the Distillery skipper was able to parry the shot and the danger was eventually cleared.
The Distillery defence stood strong in the closing minutes and Brennan’s first half goal was enough to celebrate a hard fought and well earned three points. At this stage of the season though there is no let up and we are in action again on Tuesday night when we travel to Iveagh Park to face Rathfriland Rangers.
Full Time: Coagh United 0-1 Lisburn Distillery
Lisburn Distillery; Carry, Lewis, Geddis, Angus, Brennan, Lynch, Berry, Grattan, McNickle, Storey, O’Neill
Lisburn Distillery substitutes; McConnellogue, Wood (for Berry, 87 mins), Lundy, Devenny (for O’Neill, 66 mins), Newell (for Lynch, 77 mins), McVarnock, Clougherty
Match report by Cameron Moore (@cameron2604)
David Hunter’s picture gallery from this game can be found @ https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBewwp
