Match Report v Moyola Park – 1/3/25

Lisburn Distillery v Moyola Park (Playr-Fit Teamwear Premier Intermediate League) – Saturday 1st March 2025

Moyola Park were the visitors to New Grosvenor on Saturday afternoon as Lisburn Distillery sought to win back-to-back league games for the first time this season.

Despite 2025 being barely two months old this was the second time these sides have met this calendar year, the previous occasion bringing back not so fond memories for Distillery as the Whites blew a three goal half-time lead to draw 3-3 at Mill Meadow in January.

There were two changes to the Distillery side that beat Banbridge the previous week, Adam McCart was serving a suspension for accumulated yellow cards in league competition and Jonny Angus also dropped to the bench, Fra Brennan and Dean Lewis replaced them in the starting eleven.

The home side started the game brightly and had the first effort on goal of the game after five minutes but a Moyola defender was able to divert Josh Lynch’s shot from a Sonny Redford lay off behind for a corner. Seven minutes later Redford saw his headed effort following a good right hand cross from Ryan Sharkey go just wide of Andrew Findlay’s post. Sandwiched between these attacks there was a nervy moment for Distillery when Dylan Agnew left his area to attempt to clear the ball but could not get the job done and the ball started bouncing dangerously towards the Whites goal but the covering Sharkey was able to clear the danger.

Barry Johnston’s side took a deserved lead after 15 minutes when Lynch’s corner was cleared out to the right flank but the tireless Mark McKee chased the ball down and did well to keep the ball in play. Brennan then picked the ball up for the home side and swung the ball back into the Moyola box were a defender outjumped Redford and flicked the ball away but only as far as Aaron Cochrane, who had found some space and rifled the ball past Findlay into the bottom corner.

The lead did not last long unfortunately as in the 22nd minute Jake Francis’ corner delivered to the back post landed between Declan Martin and Owen O’Neill, Martin was able to poke the ball away from the Distillery defender and finish past Agnew, aided by a slight deflection.

In the final 15 minutes of the first half, both sides had efforts on goal as they sought to take a lead into the interval. Firstly Kyle Flynn found the target with a free kick from just shy of 30 yards but Findlay was equal to it and then up the other end a visiting player blasted the ball on goal from close range but somehow Agnew was able to keep the ball out. Then, with one of the last moves of the half, Cochrane and Lynch linked up for Distillery in the left channel with the latter laying the ball off to Sharkey but he was unable to keep his shot down and the ball went sailing over the bar.

Half Time: Lisburn Distillery 1-1 Moyola Park

Much like the first half it was Distillery who threatened first after the break, Lynch received the ball out on the right and though about crossing but spotted Findlay off his line and opted to go for goal, leaving the visiting goalkeeper scrambling to get his fingertips to the ball and touch it over the bar for a corner.

The home fans did not have to wait long to celebrate the second Whites goal of the game, Flynn finishing off a well-worked sweeping move involving Sharkey, Cochrane and Redford.

Just over five minutes after taking the lead the Whites sought to double their advantage, with Cochrane trying a shot from a few yards outside the box but he was unable to beat Findlay and up the other end Joseph McCready played in a teammate following a Moyola counter-attack but Agnew spread himself and blocked the shot on goal.

Moyola would equalise for the second time of the game with just over 20 minutes remaining, when a free kick from about 25 yards following a McKee foul was parried away by Agnew but Jonathan McLean scored from the rebound to level things up once again.

The Ballyskeagh side looked the more likely to score for the remainder of the game, with Cochrane and McKee both having efforts on the Moyola goal but neither were able to find the target.

The Whites looked all set to win the game in the third minute of added time when Cochrane picked up the ball after a headed clearance and passed to Lynch out on the right. The Distillery midfielder took a great first touch to bring himself infield and beat the opposition defender but his low left footed shot was kept out by Findlay.

In the end, for the second time this season, there was nothing to separate Distillery and Moyola and both sides had to make do with a share of the spoils in what turned out to be an entertaining game, at least for the neutral.

Attention now turns back to the Intermediate Cup this Saturday as we make the short journey to The Dub to face Queens in the quarter final stage.

Full Time: Lisburn Distillery 2-2 Moyola Park

Lisburn Distillery; Agnew, Lewis, Sharkey, Brennan, Lynch, Cochrane, McKee ©, Flynn, Redford, Kinner, O’Neill Lisburn Distillery substitutions; Sloan, Stewart, McKeown, McVicker (for Kinner, 85 mins), Angus (for O’Neill, 46 mins), Quinn (for Redford, 73 mins)