Match Report v Armagh City 27/4/24 (a)
V ARMAGH CITY (a) 27th April 2024
Armagh City needed a point from this final league game of the season at Holm Park to clinch the runners-up spot in the PIL. The Whites were in 8th place but could slip down to 11th depending on other results on the day. There was only one change from the midweek Limavady defeat with Ryan Sharkey in for Fra Brennan.
The visitors got off to a good start and after early efforts by Ryan McNickle and Joe Tully they took a deserved lead after 8 minutes when a cleared shot fell to Ryan McNickle and he buried it in the net. Armagh tried to respond but Dean Lewis was on hand to clear a couple of dangerous crosses. Then following a loose backpass, Ethan Carry saved a one-on-one with Conor Mullen and Jordan King put the loose ball wide. On the half-hour mark, Lewis, Lynch and Carry were all in action keeping Armagh shots out following a corner.
Then on 35 minutes the Whites scored a second when a good move down the right saw Gerard Storey set up Ryan McNickle to score again with a shot into the far corner. It was his 19th goal of the season. The home side pressed in vain for the remaining bit of the half, but in truth the Whites had played well and were good value for their half-time lead.
Half Time: ARMAGH CITY 0 LISBURN DISTILLERY 2
The halftime substitutions saw Armagh replacing Conor Mullen with Bradley Okaidja and Barry Johnston bringing on Joe McConnellogue for Ethan Carry and Jamie Devenny for Josh Lynch. It was Jamie Devenny’s 27th time on as substitute for the season setting a new Club Record by passing Nathan McConnell’s 26 appearances on as sub in the 2002/03 season.
What a bizarre turn-around then unfolded in the second half! The home side were well fired up and took control by immediately pounding the Distillery goal. Within four minutes they had the ball in the net twice and luckily for the Whites they were both chalked off for offside. Armagh got their reward though in the 7th minute when Jordan King crossed for the left and Stefan Lavery netted their first goal. The writing was on the wall for the visitors after 53 minutes when Dean Lewis was sent off for a foul on Jordan King. The ten-men then faced a constant onslaught with the home side missing at least four good chances and forcing Joe McConnellogue into a couple of saves over the next ten minutes. The equaliser came in the 64th minute when Stefan Lavery fired in from close range after a cross from the right. Then three minutes later the inevitable Armagh winner was scored by Bradley Okaidja who was able to waltz through and shoot low into the corner of the net.
It was the 74th minute before the Whites had their first meaningful foray into the Armagh half as Ryan McNickle burst through with his hat-trick in mind but his shot was blocked by a defender on the edge of the box. By this stage the Whites had brought on fresh legs in the shape of youngsters Harvey Hosick, Callum McComb and Grahame Lundy with the first two making their debuts. The Whites had a late attacking spell and nearly pulled off an undeserved equaliser when Harvey Hosick burst through and unleashed a thunderous shot from just outside the box for keeper Conner Byrne to produce an equally brilliant save to turn it for a corner.
Thus the game finished with Armagh celebrating their Play-off spot and the Whites settling for 9th place.
Full Time: ARMAGH CITY 3 LISBURN DISTILLERY 2
Lisburn Distillery; Carry, Grattan, Sharkey, Lewis, Whiteway, Lynch, Berry, Newell, McNickle, Storey, Tully.
Lisburn Distillery substitutions; McConnellogue (for Carry 45 mins), McComb (for McNickle 79 mins), Young, Devenny (for Lynch 45 mins), Hosick (for Berry 64 mins), Lundy (for Newell 69 mins), Brennan.
