Match Report v Ballyclare Comrades – 7/2/26
Lisburn Distillery v Ballyclare Comrades (Playr-Fit Premier Intermediate League) – Saturday 7th February 2026
After defeat away to Portstewart the previous week Lisburn Distillery returned to home comforts on Saturday with Ballyclare Comrades the visitors to New Grosvenor.
Barry Baggley’s side came out on top when the sides met in November at Dixon Park, winning 1-0 thanks to a Brandon Doyle penalty in the last ten minutes but the Whites have had a fruitful time at home of late with two wins and two clean sheets in the last two games played at Ballyskeagh.
There were some changes following the Portstewart game with deadline day signing Dean Smyth making his debut in goals and Ryan Kerr moving to the bench.
Ross Ferguson also made a welcome return to the side, the midfielder having returned on loan on the last day of the transfer window after a brief return to his parent club Bangor. Matthew Herron also made his full debut and Aaron Sharkey returned to the starting eleven.
The other players to make way were Caleb Crawford, Bradley Porter and Guillaume Keke. Both sides went on the attack in the opening five minutes and it was the visitors who had the first sight of goal through Rhys McGarry in the third minute but his shot from outside the box was a routine save for Smyth.
Two minutes later down the other end, Benny Igiehon outmuscled Bobby Higgins out on the left but Smyth’s opposite number, Lewis Deane, claimed his cross into the box.
With six minutes on the clock, Jamie McDonagh fizzed a free kick from the left into the Ballyclare box but it was just too high for everyone and went out for a goal kick. Soon after this Leon Lavery had Distillery’s first shot on goal from about 30 yards after a throw in from the right had been cleared but unusually of late, the left sided player was off target.
Distillery were probably edging the game as the first half wore on with plenty of possession in the Ballyclare half and crosses going into the opposition box.
The closest the Whites came to a goal though was a McDonagh effort from about 25 yards in the 22nd minute after his earlier free kick had been cleared but on his weaker side the former Glentoran players strike was an easy save for Deane.
At the other end a minute later there was a nervous moment for the home supporters when a cross from the Comrades right flashed across the front of Smyth’s goal but no one got a touch to it and the ball eventually went behind for a goal kick.
In the final ten minutes of the opening half tempers threatened to spill over when firstly Elliot McKim of Ballyclare became the games first booking, the referee Conor Murphy feeling he had obstructed the Distillery goalkeeper while he was attempting to clear the ball downfield from his hands.
Then in the 38th minute Callum McComb joined the Ballyclare defender in Murphy’s notebook, the referee showing little hesitation to produce a yellow card after the terrier like Distillery midfielder caught Deaghlan Healy low and late.
There was some pushing and shoving after McComb’s tackle with players from both sides involved and eventually Distillery captain Jordan Morrison and former Whites loanee Jack Berry had yellow cards flashed in their direction.
The game eventually resumed with a Ballyclare free kick after the referee having called both captains together for a word, presumably in an attempt to restore some order to the proceedings.
Ballyclare fired Distillery a warning shot in the 43rd minute when Aaron Sharkey’s headed clearance was collected by Jack Johnston who controlled the ball with his upper leg and volleyed goalwards from just inside the box but Smyth got across well to get both hands to the visiting players shot.
Distillery will have went in at the break largely happy with their first half display, the Whites had largely controlled the game though neither side had really had any clear cut chances to take the lead with perhaps the Johnston effort at the end of the first half the closest either had seriously come to scoring.
Half Time: Lisburn Distillery 0-0 Ballyclare Comrades
The second half started in much a similar vein as the first with Lee Forsythe’s side controlling proceedings early on. In the 48th minute, a McDonagh corner was cleared but only as far as Ryan Sharkey but the midfielder slipped on the slick surface and his shot from 20 yards went through a sea of legs and wide of the goal.
Within two minutes of each other both sides were incredibly denied by the woodwork, firstly Ferguson went for a spectacular 30 yard strike for Distillery in the 54th minute that cannoned back off the crossbar with Deane beaten, the ‘keeper eventually recovered to palm the ball away from any potential follow up.
Then McKim had Smyth scrambling back towards his goal when he booted the ball forward from just shy of 10 yards inside his own half with the ball crashing against the bar and eventually being cleared from danger.
The deadlock was eventually broken by Distillery just before the hour mark when Dean Lewis’ throw in from the right was cleared but the ball worked its way back to him and he sent a great left footed cross towards the back post.
The cross was just too high for the jumping Igiehon but McComb was coming in behind and managed to catch the ball perfectly to send it across goal and into the bottom corner for his second goal in as many home games. Just over 15 minutes after going ahead there was another heart in mouths moment for Distillery when Smyth struggled to get through the crowd of players in front of him to claim an out swinging corner.
The ‘keeper did manage to get something on the ball to force it away from goal with his defence mopping up for him to preserve the Whites slender lead.
Igiehon sought to double the lead in the 79th minute when he dispossessed a defender in the final third and set off towards goal but Deane spread himself to block the strikers shot and when the ball landed for Herron, the offside flag went up.
Igiehon would not have to wait long for his next opportunity though as two minutes later he collected a perfectly weighted pass from Ferguson and this time made no mistake as he rounded Deane and slotted home the Whites second goal of the game.
The game was by no means won yet though and in the final five minutes of normal time, Smyth was called into action twice to keep his debut clean sheet intact.
Finally, deep into added time, a high cross from the right into the Distillery box was flicked on by a head only to strike the post before Smyth pounced on the loose ball. It was a hard-fought three points in the end for Distillery, which sees the Whites move level on points with Ballymacash and looking upwards in the table. It also marked a third home win on the bounce in the Premier Intermediate League with no goals conceded.
Saturday was also the first of three home games in a row so hopefully that run will continue this weekend when Dollingstown come to town.
Full Time: Lisburn Distillery 2-0 Ballyclare Comrades
Lisburn Distillery; Smyth (GK), Lewis, Lavery, McComb, Morrison (C), Herron, R. Sharkey, Igiehon, McDonagh, A. Sharkey, Ferguson
Lisburn Distillery substitutions; Kerr (GK), Mills, Keke (for McDonagh, 90+6 mins), Miskimmin, Torrens (for Herron, 90+6 mins), Beattie, Crawford
