Match report – 16/03/19 Lurgan Celtic 3 v Lisburn Distillery 4
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16/ 03/19
Bluefin Sports Premier Intermediate League
Lurgan Celtic 3 vs Lisburn Distillery 4
Distillery looked like scoring from the get go n this one as the ball fell to Jonny McCaw in the first minute just on the edge of the box, the busy midfielder taking the ball well on the chest before volleying just wide of goal.
However despite that early chance it was Lurgan Celtic who opened the score in the 9th minute as space opened up at the left side of the pitch outside Distillery’s box and as the ball was played into the penalty area the Whites made a total mess of clearing the danger allowing former player Peter McCann to pick the ball up and slot it past Nicholl, who was left helpless.
A disappointing start then but the Whites almost equalled the scores in the 23rd minute as Harris turned his man in the box and almost chipped the keeper, but the ball went just wide of the goal.
Two minutes later in the 25th minute, Distillery came close to scoring once again as Timmy Clarke drove a low free kick in to the box, but it was well gathered by home keeper Caolan Cush.
Cush was soon after called in to action again in the 28th minute as Daire Rooney’s ball in to the box, hit a defender in the face and fell to Withers who had his back away from goal and turned to hit the ball first time, unfortunately on this occasion straight at the keeper.
Despite this period of Distillery pressure it was Lurgan Celtic who got the next goal in the game in the 34th minute as a result of more poor defending by the visitors. Nicholl came rushing out to close down the striker, but he was second to the ball allowing the striker to get a cross in to the box which fell to Curley who duly fell over the ball allowing Philip Kerr to tap the ball in.
2-0 down and struggling the Whites where able to get one back in the 42nd minute as Celtic failed to clear from a free kick, the ball falling kindly for Withers on the edge of box and he half volleyed it in to the top right hand corner of the net.
Second half
Lurgan started the second half the brighter however the next goal belonged to Distillery who equalised in the 55th minute as the home defence failed to clear a corner with a defender headed the ball straight in to the air and it fell to Daire Rooney at the front post who headed in from less than a yard out.
Rooney came close to scoring again in the 61st minute as he got his head on to the end of Harris’ cross however on this occasion he directed his header just over the bar. The lively striker however wasn’t done and added his second to give the Whites the lead when he rose well from a corner and powerfully headed home on 64 minutes.
A great turn around then for Distillery but their lead was soon wiped out when on 71 minutes Celtic were level when Aaron Rogers was allowed to jump unchallenged from a corner and nod the ball into the corner of the net.
Just as the game seemed to be heading for a 3-3 draw on 85 minutes enter that man Rooney again who, on this occasion, picked up the ball about 30 yards out before driving into the Celtic penalty box and unleashing an unstoppable strike into the back of the Celtic net to complete his hat-trick and to restore the Distillery lead and that’s how the game finished.
A great result if not the prettiest performance from the Whites however coming back from two goals down is always reason to celebrate.
LDFC starting lineup: Nicholl, Doyle, B. Moore, S. Moore, Curley, Wright, McCaw, Harris, Rooney, Clarke, Withers.
Subs; Saunders, Beta (for Withers), Young (for Clarke), O’Hanlon (for McCaw), Curran.
Report by Johnny Millar
David Hunter’s full picture gallery from this game can be found on our Flickr page @ https://flic.kr/s/aHsmC5Q95U
