Match Report v Queen’s University – 31/8/24
Lisburn Distillery v Queens University (Playr-Fit Teamwear Premier Intermediate League) – Saturday 31st August 2024
Lisburn Distillery welcomed Queens University to New Grosvenor on Saturday for the first home league game of the 2024/2025 season.
The Whites, looking to build on the previous weeks win against Rathfriland, went with an unchanged starting line-up with new signings Jody Newell and Josh Stewart starting their Distillery careers on the bench, deadline day signing, Owen Taylor was not signed on time to be eligible so we will have to wait a little longer to see him in action.
The home side were the first to threaten the opposition goal in the 3rd minute, Mark McKee was pulled down right on the edge of the box and Gary Warwick’s free kick looked for a moment to have Neil Shields beaten but it ended up curling over the crossbar.
Distillery started the opening 15 minutes brightly but despite their possession and positive build up play, they were unable to seriously threaten the opposition goal and after this opening period the game became quite scrappy with a few feisty tackles flying in. On the 30-minute mark Distillery’s Jack Kinner marked his home debut by becoming the fist player of the day to find his name in the referee’s notebook.
Two minutes after this and Distillery thought they had an opportunity to take the lead when McKee threaded a great pass through the defence to Warwick, but the offside flag went up against the Whites number eight.
Distillery captain Fra Brennan was the next to fall foul of the referee, the visitors sought to counterattack and with the Whites defence caught for pace Brennan had little choice but to bring the opposition player down outside the box, conceding a free kick and picking up a yellow card for his troubles.
Barry Johnston’s side thought they had taken the lead with virtually the last kick of the half, Dean Lewis beat the offside trap and sent a dangerous looking cross in from the right towards Warwick in the centre, the former Newington player sent the ball goalwards, but Shields managed to get his body behind the ball and make a crucial save virtually on the line.
The home side had started and ended the half strongly but, in the end, the sides went in at the break with the scores level at 0-0.
Half Time: Lisburn Distillery 0-0 Queens University
It was the visitors who were the first to seriously put the opposition ‘keeper under threat in the second 45 minutes and once again it was from a free kick. Marc McKenna’s curling effort looked like it might just have been creeping into the bottom corner, but Lorcan Donnelly managed to get across at full stretch to make a great save to keep the scores level.
It looked like the game might swing in favour of the visitors, when just before the hour mark, Brennan had a tangle in the middle of the pitch with an opposition player and picked up his second yellow card of the game, leaving Distillery to play out the remainder of the half with a man less.
This forced Johnston into a reshuffle with Aaron Cochrane entering the fray for his first league game in a Distillery shirt and Adam McCart also came on to further bolster the defence, Joe Tully and Justin Grattan respectively made way.
Despite being a man down, the home side looked the more likely to score and in the 71st minute, Warwick’s delivery from a free kick was cleared but the ball was almost immediately sent back out to him on the left and this time his delivery was much better but just fractionally too high for the rising McCart to get anything on it. A minute later and Warwick was causing problems again, he managed to get on the end of a ball over the top and with the offside flag staying down he forced the ball around the onrushing Shields, unfortunately though he was forced wide and could not find the target with his final effort on goal and Queens managed to clear the danger.
With just over 10 minutes remaining, Distillery had probably the best chance of the game and no surprise, Warwick was involved again as he played a great pass through to Cochrane who managed to keep himself onside. The summer signing from PSNI shot first time and beat Shields but with Whites supporters already celebrating as the ball looked set to nestle in the bottom corner jubilation turned to anguish as the ball ended up going just the wrong of the post, the linesman awarded a corner, suggesting that the Queens ‘keeper might have just got enough on the ball to deny an almost certain goal.
In the final ten minutes, Queens looked to make their man advantage count but despite some promising looking attacks they were unable to find the target with any final effort. There was a moment in injury time when Distillery hearts were in mouths, a Queens corner was cleared but only as far as a visiting player on the edge of the box who quickly recycled the ball high into the danger area and as Donnelly came to claim it, the ball slipped through his hands but thankfully went out for another corner, which came to nothing.
In the end both sides had to settle for a share of the spoils, it was a result few Distillery fans would not have taken before the game and especially following the red card, but the Whites might just look back on some key moments in the game, particularly that Cochrane chance, and feel they could have been leaving with all three points. Nevertheless, it’s four points from six in the league and no goals conceded, which is not to be sneezed at.
As it stands, the next Distillery game is away to Warrenpoint on the 21st September but the Seconds have Junior Cup tie at New Grosvenor this Saturday at 1:30pm, which the Phoenix Coffee Shop will be open for should anyone wish to attend.
Full Time: Lisburn Distillery 0-0 Queens University
Lisburn Distillery; Donnelly, Lewis, Brennan, Whiteway, Kinner, Warwick, Tully, Flynn, McKee, Grattan, Angus
Lisburn Distillery substitutions; Newell, Sharkey, Cochrane (for Tully, 57 mins), Morrow, Stewart (for Warwick, 81 mins), McCart (for Grattan, 60 mins)