Match Report v Rathcoole – 16/11/24

Attention turned away from the league on Saturday as Lisburn Distillery welcomed Rathcoole to New Grosvenor in the 2nd round of the Intermediate Cup, both sides had received a bye to this stage of the competition.

 

The Whites have not had a favourable time in the cups this season as they went out at the first hurdles of the Irish, Steel & Sons and League Cups all within the first week of the season so will have been hoping to get on a run in this one.

 

Manager Barry Johnston made two changes to the side from the 2-2 draw against Ballymacash with Brendan Glackin and Dean Lewis coming into the side and Matthew Hanna and Justin Grattan dropping out.

 

The visitors had the first effort on goal in the first minute of play when Robert Patterson sought to take advantage of a wayward pass and Johnny Angus slip but he miscued his shot and it went out for a goal kick.

 

After this early scare, the Whites settled and began to take control of possession and had a chance of their own in the sixth minute, Jack Kinner found Mark McKee with a good pass into the box. The number eight found the path to goal blocked so opted to play the ball back to Josh Lynch but his shot from just outside the box rattled the post.

 

Distillery did break the deadlock after 13 minutes when Adam McCart rose highest to meet a Lynch corner and headed the home side ahead. A few weeks ago, this might have been referred to as a rare goal by the big man but supporters will remember he did pop up with a crucial equaliser in the last game played at New Grosvenor against Knockbreda.

 

The home sides lead was soon doubled as three minutes later Aaron Cochrane headed on a corner delivered by Kyle Flynn from the other side and McCart was on hand to head in to make it 2-0 and bring his personal tally to three goals in as many games.

 

At this stage, it probably looked like game, set and match but Rathcoole fought their way back into the game when a great crossfield pass found James Murphy in the right channel and he kept a cool head to slot past Lorcan Donnelly and cut the Distillery advantage in half.

 

After this the visitors were on the front foot and Donnelly was called into action to save from Wesley and Robert Patterson and did well to tip a headed effort over the bar following a Rathcoole free kick.

 

Johnston’s side did have one opportunity to restore their two-goal advantage two minutes before the break as they sought to counter from a quick free kick but Kinner could not keep his effort from Dean Lewis’ cross below the bar so the Whites had to settle for a narrow 2-1 lead going in at the interval.

 

 

Distillery started the second half by seeing most of the ball in the early stages but the closest they came to adding to their lead was ten minutes after the break when Stephen Cummings saved Mark McKee’s free kick on the line.

 

In the 64th minute Distillery hearts were in mouths when Fra Brennan lunged into a tackle inside the penalty area but the referee judged it a fair challenge from the Distillery captain and two minutes later Flynn found debutant Owen Taylor, who had just come off the bench moments before, but Cummings got across to block his shot.

 

There was another nervous moment with just over 20 minutes to go when Donnelly got his hands to a Wesley Patterson cross from the right but was not able to hold onto the ball; fortunately, McCart was on hand to clear the danger. Then, with 15 minutes on the clock, the same Distillery player almost completed his hat-trick but unusually of late, he headed just over from Flynn’s corner.

 

In the 76th minute, Donnelly was called into action to parry a shot from a visiting player and did well to get a crucial touch to the follow up effort before McKee managed to fully clear the danger away from almost on the line.

 

With six minutes left on the clock the visitors got a free kick within shooting range after a Cochrane foul, the midfielder picking up a yellow card for his troubles, but Wesley Patterson could not find the target and time was starting to run out for the North Belfast men.

 

Cochrane was involved again a minute later as he called Cummings into action to tip over his shot following a Lewis pass but the Whites midfielder would have an early end to the game, picking up a second yellow card after the referee deemed he had thrown the ball away after winning a free kick.

 

Deep into injury time the Whites were denied what looked to be a stonewall penalty when half-time substitute Padraig McVicker was taken out while shaping to shoot from close range but the appeals were turned down and up the other end Donnelly was called into action one last time, saving from a free kick.

 

In the end it was not pretty but McCart’s two early goals were enough to ensure the Whites were able to accomplish what they had failed to do so far this season, win a cup game! We now advance to the 3rd round where the reward is another home draw against Killyleagh YC to be played on Saturday 18th January.

 

 

Lisburn Distillery; Donnelly, Lewis, Brennan, Lynch, Cochrane, McKee, Glackin, Flynn, Angus, Kinner, McCart.

Lisburn Distillery substitutes; Sharkey, Lavery, Devenny (for McKee, 81 mins), Taylor (for Glackin, 65 mins), Morrow (for Angus, 89 mins), McVicker (for Kinner, 46 mins), Grattan (for Lynch, 46 mins).