Match Report v Ballymacash Rangers (a) 5/4/24
Ballymacash Rangers v Lisburn Distillery (Playr-Fit Teamwear Premier Intermediate League) – Friday 5th April 2024
It was a short trip to The Bluebell on Friday night for Lisburn Distillery to face a Ballymacash Rangers side still pushing for promotion.
Lee Forsythe’s side won the reverse fixture at New Grosvenor earlier in the season but the Whites have produced a good return at Ballymacash’s ground with a win in the League Cup back in August and a 2-2 draw in the league fixture last season.
With Dean Lewis and Joe Tully suspended Distillery manager, Barry Johnston, was forced into two changes with Johnny Newell and Jamie Devenny starting. Fra Brennan also returned to the side after serving his suspension against Moyola and Robert Geddis made his way into the starting side, Curtis Woods and Breandan O’Neill dropping out.
The game kicked off and Distillery went on the attack in the first minute but Josh Lynch’s shot from a Jack Berry passed was blocked by a defender, the ball made its way to Devenny on the right wing but Jordan Morrison headed his cross behind for a corner.
The Whites goal came under threat with five minutes on the clock when a free kick delivered into the box was too high for Brennan to get his head to and when a home player diverted the ball towards goal it hit the crossbar and went out for what the officials determined was a corner.
Johnston’s side did perhaps have more of the ball in the early stages but the closest they came to forcing Brian Neeson into a save was in the 12th minute when a Berry cross from the left was deflected and ran straight into the goalkeeper’s hands.
The Whites found themselves behind after 16 minutes when Benny Igiehon added to his tally against us this season, heading in from a corner. There were some protests from the Distillery players who felt Brennan had been fouled in the run up to the ball going out for the corner.
After taking the lead, the home side well and truly gained the upper hand and with 20 minutes gone the visitors struggled to clear Owen McKeown’s cross after a poor pass from Lynch. Ethan Carry was eventually able to claim the loose ball and the Whites captain was called into action to tip a deft shot following a free kick around the post a few minutes later.
The second goal did eventually come for Forsythe’s side after 28 minutes when Carl McComb’s shot from just inside the box took a deflection, which caught Carry out and the ball went in off the crossbar.
There was a moment of hope for the Distillery faithful in the 30th minute when a good passing move starting in our own half ended with a cross from the left toward Ryan McNickle but he could get nothing on it.
Things went from bad to worse with ten minutes left of the half when Morrison scored when a deep cross was poorly handled by the Distillery defence and the Ballymacash captain helped himself to his second in injury time, heading home at the back post from a corner after Carry made a good save from a Christopher Crane effort.
Half Time: Ballymacash Rangers 4-0 Lisburn Distillery
The home side had a chance to add to their lead less than a minute after the restart, but Carry was on hand to parry the effort away.
Whatever Johnston said at half time seemed to have some effect as after that early opportunity for the home side Distillery looked much the better side after the break and McNickle, Berry, Lynch and Gerard Storey all had efforts on Neeson’s goal but were either unable to find the target or were denied by a combination of the Ballymacash goalkeeper or defence.
The deficit was reduced shortly before the hour mark when Stuart Clarke headed a looping cross from the right over Neeson and into the back of his own net, a touch of fortune but one the Whites were happy to take at this stage.
After this Carry was called into action to save a shot from the edge of the box but by and large, it was still the visitors who were enjoying the better of the second half and felt they were denied a clear penalty in the 69th minute when Berry seemed to be pulled down by a defender after breaking into the box. The referee waved for the sides to play on, and Lynch got to the loose ball but once again, was unable to get the better of Neeson.
McNickle was denied by the woodwork when he ran onto a through ball and got a shot off despite the close attentions of a defender, but his effort cannoned back off the crossbar.
The home side had a couple of sightings of goal to put the game to bed, Carry had to be at full stretch to save a free kick to his left with 15 minutes left to go and then in the 82nd minute Igiehon thought he had scored a screamer when he shot on the turn from range, but the ball struck the post and bounced away to safety.
With virtually the last noteworthy action of the game Distillery did manage to reduce the home sides lead further in the 89th minute, Storey scoring from the penalty spot after a Whites player was fouled inside the box.
It had been a much improved second half from Johnston’s side but in the end a woeful first half cost them dearly and with results on Saturday we drop to 12th in the table. Hopefully we can get back to winning ways at home to Tobermore on Saturday and aim for a strong end to the campaign.
Full Time: Ballymacash Rangers 4-2 Lisburn Distillery
Lisburn Distillery; Carry, Grattan, Geddis, Brennan, Whiteway, Lynch, Storey, Newell, McNickle, Berry, Devenny
Lisburn Distillery substitutions; McConnellogue, McCart, McComb, Sharkey (for Newell, 61 mins), Young, Lundy, Brady