Match report – Banbridge Town 0 v Lisburn Distillery 0 (PIL)

12/10/19 Banbridge Town 0 vs Lisburn Distillery 0

Bluefin Premier Intermediate League

Distillery had the first chance of the game in the third minute as the ball fell for Timmy Clarke on the left side of the box. He was able to bring it down and play a one two with Aaron Harris, who set him up for the volley, but the effort was skied over the bar.

Banbridge found themselves down the other end in the 9th minute as Jack Clarke drove down the right wing and beat his man to deliver a low driven cross to the edge of the box were Lewis Houston was waiting, he struck the ball first time, but thankfully for the Whites the effort well over the bar.

Timmy Clarke had a chance to put the Whites ahead in the 14th minute as he delivered a cross come shot towards the goal, forcing the keeper to parry the ball wide for a corner The corner was delivered in to the box by Kevin Braniff and was won in the air by the unmarked, Barry Moore but once again the effort went over the bar.

A few minutes later Conor Downey struck a well hit free kick for Banbridge from about 30 yards, out but once again it was a similar outcome with the ball dipping just over the bar.

It was all pretty even however Distillery had another chance in the 20th minute as Braniff drove through the middle and played Harris through on the right side of the box, however, Harris dragged his shot wide and another chance went a begging.

Distillery’s Moore then broke with the ball from his own half in the 28th minute and played it out wide to Mikey Withers who drew his defender out wide. He drove down the left wing, before playing the ball back to Moore, on the edge of the box, he took the shot first time, but it was deflected harmlessly wide.

It was the hosts Banbridge who had the next chance, this time in the 36th minute as the ball got flicked over the Distillery back line, directed towards James Costello who controlled it with his chest and turned with it to face goal, however his subsequent shot was wide off the mark.

Timmy Clarke’s partnership down the left wing with Withers, began to look stronger as the half was drawing to a close with the pair linking up in the 40th minute again, as Clarke played Withers in to enable a shot but his effort narrowly went past the wrong side of the right post.

Half time then and with chances limited for both sides it was no surprise to see it end goalless.

The second half provided little improvement although Whites ‘keeper Jonah Nicholl was forced into a fine save on 58 minutes from a Matthew McCartan freekick with the Distillery custodian called into action again shortly afterwards this time to thwart James Costello.

61 minutes had been played and the Whites had a let off as Costello’s effort cannoned off a post with the follow up seeing Banbridge appealing for a penalty claiming a foul on Clarke however despite initially looking like it had been awarded the referee opted to allow play to continue.

The Whites then had a chance to nick it at the end as Harris played a ball to Braniff on the edge of the penalty area in the 88th minute. Braniff took one touch and shot towards the right post, but the home keeper, Gerard McErlean, was able to take the ball in his hands as he dived for it.

Report by Johnny Millar

LDFC Team Lineup: Nicholl, Long, Moore, McAlea, Stewart, Getty, O’Hanlon, Harris, Withers, Braniff, Clarke.

Subs: Wright (for McAlea), Byrne, McCaw (for Withers), Beta (for O’Hanlon)

David Hunter’s picture gallery from this game can be found on our Flickr page @ https://flic.kr/s/aHsmHGyBes