Match Report v Rathfriland Rangers – 24/8/24

Rathfriland Rangers v Lisburn Distillery (Playr-Fit Premier Intermediate League) – Saturday 24th August 2024

Lisburn Distillery started the 2024/2025 league campaign away to Rathfriland on Saturday, having exited three cup competitions within a week to start the season the Whites will have been hoping for a better start to the league campaign but Trever Williamson’s side were sure to provide a stern opposition.

The Distillery management chose to ring the changes, with new signings Jack Kinner and Kyle Flynn going straight into the starting eleven, Dean Lewis, Dylan Whiteway and Justin Grattan all returned from suspension and Joe Tully made his first appearance of the season after recovering from injury.

The Whites started the game brightly and the returning Flynn made an almost immediate impact when a defender cut out his cross from the left in the second minute, but only as far as Gary Warwick who was unable to make a clean connection with his effort on goal. Those same players were involved again for the visitors with just under ten minutes played, this time Warwick danced through the Rathfriland defence and passed to Flynn but his shot was deflected behind for a corner, which did bounce uncomfortably in the box but Ronan Burns was able to claim it before a visiting player could take advantage.

With 17 minutes on the clock the Whites were forced into a change of personnel at the back when Jonny Angus went down injured and ended up having to make way, with the experienced Adam McCart coming on in his stead.

So far, in the game the Whites were well on top and thought they had taken the lead in the 33rd minute, firstly Mark McKee did well to win the ball back in midfield and played a great pass to Warwick. However, number eight was unable to control the ball and it ended up being cleared behind for a corner by a defender. The corner was swung in towards Burns’ goal and for a moment, it looked like the ball might just creep over the line directly from the delivery but in the end it was cleared away and the game would remain level for now. Two minutes later Distillery thought they had a decent shout for a penalty; a great move involving Tully, Kinner and Lewis ended with the former getting tripped inside the box but the appeals were cut short when it turned out the offside flag had already been raised.

The opening goal would come with just less than five minutes of the first half to play and it would go the way of the visitors. Flynn regained position in the Rathfriland half after a prior attack had broken down and sent another low cross in from the left, Warwick stepped over the ball and it landed at the feet of McKee. The summer signings first effort was well blocked by a lunging defender but he made no mistake with the second forcing it past Burns to put the Whites ahead. A scrappy goal but one the Distillery fans would take and McKee was clearly delighted to open his goalscoring account for the club.

The remainder of the half went by with little to note and the Whites took a one-goal lead into the half-time interval.

Half-Time: Rathfriland Rangers 0-1 Lisburn Distillery

It was a cagey start to the second half with not much to write home about for either side, as the game progressed Rathfriland did noticeably start to see more of the ball but Lorcan Donnelly, in goals for Distillery, went untested.

On the hour mark, the home side had probably their best chance to score of the game at that stage when Eoin Rooney, who had come off the bench after the break, won the ball back on the right and sent a great cross across the box. There, the ball found the unmarked Jack Chambers at the back post but his shot went just wide of Donnelly’s left hand post.

Five minutes later the home side had another great chance to equalise, a move down the Distillery right ended with Matthew Holloway linking up with Jake Corbett and the former went down inside the box after a challenge from debutant Kinner. The referee was very quick to point to the penalty spot, some might even say too quick as the ball actually ended up being swept into the goal by another Rathfriland attacker from the edge of the box, a fact not lost on some of the home players. As it was, the penalty was awarded and up stepped Rathfriland captain, and well respected former Distillery player, Andy Kilmartin to assume the responsibility. Donnelly guessed right for the penalty, diving to his right but there was no need for the Whites captain to make the save as the ball clipped the outside of the post and went out for a goal kick, few would have said it out loud but it felt at that time like it might just be Distillery’s day.

Rathfriland continued to control most of the possession but the experienced Whites defence, marshalled by captain Fra Brennan, dug in and refused to be breached and in the end, it was the them who doubled their lead with 15 minutes left on the clock. Tully, who had made a noticeable impact on his return, put the Rathfriland defence under pressure chasing down a wayward pass and this meant the defender could only clear the ball away as far as Distillery substitute Ryan Sharkey. Sharkey headed the ball left were Lewis passed to Warwick, this started off a lovely move that ended with Warwick collecting the ball again inside the box and scoring his first goal for the Whites with a finish into the corner of the goal.

It was as you were for much of the rest of the game; the home side tried in vain to reduce the deficit with a number of crosses and set piece deliveries into the box but as they had done admirably for the entire game the Distillery defence stood strong and dealt with whatever was thrown at them. In fact, it was Distillery who could have made it 3-0 deep into added time but Lewis’ shot from the right was saved by Burns.

In the end Distillery players and fans were able to celebrate a great three points picked up on the road and the result marked the first time the Whites have started a league campaign with a win since a Kevin Braniff goal secured a 1-0 win away to Dollingstown in former manager Stephen Hatfield’s first game in charge. It also means that after the first weekend of the league campaign, the Whites sit proudly at the top of the league.

Full Time: Rathfriland Rangers 0-2 Lisburn Distillery

Lisburn Distillery; Donnelly, Lewis, Brennan, Whiteway, Warwick, Tully, Flynn, McKee, Grattan, Kinner, Angus Lisburn Distillery; McConnellogue, Sharkey (for Grattan, 68 mins), Glackin, Lavery (for McKee, 83 mins), McCart (for Angus, 17 mins)