Match Report v Rathfriland Rangers – 6/12/25

Lee Forsythe took his Lisburn Distillery side on the road for the first time on Saturday to face Rathfriland Rangers in the Premier Intermediate League (PIL).

 

The last time the Whites visited Iveagh Park we came away with a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Gary Warwick and Mark McKee but went into this particular game with no league wins so far this campaign and only a point on the board, from the opening day against Knockbreda.

 

There were five changes to the side following the previous week’s loss against Oxford Sunnyside; Fra Brennan began a three-match ban after his red card in that game and Leon Lavery and Gerard Storey also dropped out of the squad with Padraig McVicker and Jay Torrens having to make do with spots on the bench.

 

Coming into the starting eleven were Ryan Sharkey, Jude O’Hara, David Alfred, Callum McComb and Ben Fitzsimmons. The latter was making his debut and McComb his full debut for Distillery. There was also the welcome sight of last season’s captain and Player of the Year, the aforementioned McKee, amongst the Whites substitutes after a period away from the game.

 

The game could not have got off to a worse start for Forsythe’s side as the ball was played out to the Rathfriland right and Ruari Fitzpatrick was afforded too much space to get beyond the Distillery defence. The wide man send a low cross into the middle, where Stephen McCavitt slid in to nudge the ball past Marcus Thompson and put the home side ahead.

 

After this early strike, there were few other opportunities on goal for either side in the early stages but the opening 15 minutes were played largely in the Distillery half.

 

Eventually the Whites did start to grow into the game and in the 26th minute won a corner, which Dean Lewis delivered into the Rathfriland box and Ally Wilson’s side struggled to clear with the ball ping-ponging around the penalty area before goalkeeper Ben McCauley eventually managed to get his hands to the ball ahead of the lurking Alfred.

 

The visitors did pull level in the 30th minute when Lewis crossed from the right touchline towards Guillaume Keke on the edge of the D. The number 10 flicked the ball beyond the Rathfriland full back and Fitzsimmons connected with a delightful first time volley, sending the ball into the bottom corner to mark his debut in style.

 

The home side finished the first half stronger and the newly crowned Dunville’s Player of the Month for November, Thompson was called upon to deny Fitzpatrick and Jordan Hayes. Then, with five minutes to go until the interval, Aaron Sharkey had to go full stretch to deflect a shot from a Rathfriland player behind, when the ball looked destined for the bottom corner of the Whites goal.

 

In first half injury time the Whites defence continued to live something of a charmed life and only a combo of Thompson, his defence and it has to be side some wayward finishing from Ally Wilson’s side meant Distillery went in at the break on equal terms.

 

 

The visitors had a bright start to the second 45 minutes and Benny Igiehon and Keke had early efforts on McCauley’s goal but on both occasions, neither Distillery player was able to find the target.

 

In the 53rd minute, Thompson showed just why he was November Player of the Month when a free kick was delivered into the Distillery box from the Rathfriland left.

 

Aaron Sharkey deflected the delivery and sent the ball goalwards where it took a further deflection off an incoming Rathfriland player, who seemed to know little about it.

 

 

In the 57th minute Igiehon became the third player to receive a yellow card for Distillery, joining debutants Fitzsimmons and the excellent McComb in the referee’s notebook, and the trio would soon be joined by Aaron Sharkey.

 

The Whites, playing in yellow on the day incidentally, attempted to counterattack when Igiehon lumped the ball downfield following a Rathfriland set piece and Alfred chased the ball down and eventually won control of it close to the bye-line on the left hand side of the pitch. The Distillery forward then played the ball back to Ryan Sharkey but the return pass was to close to McCauley who snuffed out the danger for the home side.

 

Distillery’s chances of taking anything from the game seemed to be dealt a blow for the worse in the 67th minute when Igiehon was shown his second yellow card after the referee judged he caught Hayes with a high foot, it was the second game in a row the Whites had been reduced to ten men.

 

Rathfriland sought to capitalise on their man advantage early on and Josh Cooper really should have had them back in front but half time substitute Ben Napier was well placed to block his low effort from Daniel Devlin’s cross.

 

With 15 minutes left to go Forsythe decided to inject some fresh legs into the game and it was cometh the 75th minute, cometh the man, with McKee coming on for his first taste of action since the opening league game of the season. Last season’s star man replaced Alfred and Josh Lynch also entered the game in place of Lewis.

 

Both sides were pushing to take more than a point out of the game and for the home side Fitzpatrick let rip with a strike from 30 yards but Thompson was equal to it. At the other end, McKee looked to make a quick impact after his introduction and got on the end of a teammates flick on following a Thompson clearance but the midfielder was quickly surrounded by defenders and found the path to goal blocked and Ryan Sharkey’s strike from the edge of the box after Rathfriland cleared was always curling wide.

 

Distillery also got a free kick within shooting range of McCauley’s goal but Keke failed to trouble the home ‘keeper with his shot going well over the bar.

 

At this stage Distillery fans would have been delighted to hear the final whistle sound and head back up to road with a point but then the unthinkable happened in the 89th minute when a home defender played the ball back to McCauley. It looked like a routine clearance for the Rathfriland stopper but he failed to get any height on his kick and could only watch on in horror as it cannoned back towards goal off McKee; with the Distillery player chasing the ball down to do the needful and give the Whites a shock lead.

 

The game was by no means over though and deep into added time Rathfriland were the width of the post away from an equaliser when an in-swinging corner found Devlin at the back post, having just managed to escape the attentions of Aaron Sharkey momentarily, but his header cannoned off the woodwork and the experienced Whites player recovered to clear.

 

When the full time whistle sounded, it was greeted with a mixture of joy and relief on the faces of Distillery fans, players and officials alike and Forsythe led the celebrations in what was his first league win as Distillery manager and the Whites first win in the PIL since the final game of last season against Coagh United.

There is no resting on laurels though and this Saturday we return to home comforts as we welcome basement side Banbridge Town to New Grosvenor for the second time this season, the previous occasion being a League Cup tie back in August, and as it stands this will be the final home game of 2025.

 

 

Lisburn Distillery; Thompson (GK), Lewis (C), Fitzsimmons, McComb, R. Sharkey, Igiehon, Keke, A. Sharkey, O’Hara, Crawford, Alfred

 

Lisburn Distillery substitutions; Kingham (GK), Lynch (for Lewis, 75 mins), McVicker, McKee (for Alfred, 75 mins), Geddis, Torrens, Napier (for Fitzsimmons, 46 mins)