Match Report v St James Swifts – 10/8/24
St James Swifts v Lisburn Distillery (Clearer Water Irish Cup 1st Round) – Saturday 10th August 2024
Lisburn Distillery opened the season with a short trip to Donegal Celtic Park on Saturday to face St. James Swifts in the first round of the Irish Cup, a repeat of last year’s first round clash that the Whites won 4-1.
There were four debutants in the Distillery line-up, Lorcan Donnelly, Gary Warwick, Brendan Glackin and Padraig McVicker, and the returning Mark McKee also started with summer signing Leon Lavery on the bench. With Ethan Carry moving on over the summer to take up further studies across the water, Barry Johnston has confirmed that Fra Brennan will take on the captain’s armband this season.
The Whites has the first opportunity to attack in the 3rd minute when a free kick presented the opportunity to get men forward but Warwick’s delivery was cleared and when Dylan Whiteway headed the ball back into the danger area the opposition goalkeeper, Paul McLaughlin was able to claim it. Up the other end Ciaran Hyland’s had the first effort on goal of the game but his strike from just outside the area was straight down Donnelly’s throat, all in all it was a cagey opening to the game with both sides struggling to take any real authority on proceedings.
With 25 minutes on the clock, Brennan tried his luck with a powerful effort from the edge of the box after St James struggles to fully clear a Distillery set piece but the ball struck another Whites player and went out for a goal kick. Ten minutes later McVicker attempted to play a pass to Warwick in the home sides box but the ball was just too far ahead of the Whites player and soon after Donnelly was called into action to tip a 30-yard free kick low to his right around the post.
On the stroke of half time Barry Johnston’s side had the last opportunity to score when Brendan Glackin got on the end of an Adam McCart clearance, the summer recruit was forced wide but did well to turn and cross into the box. Unfortunately, while the cross found Ryan Sharkey he, like Glackin, was forced away from goal but managed to tee up Justin Grattan, whose final shot was cleared away by a defender.
In the end neither side were able to get off the mark in the opening 45 minutes, in what was so far shaping up to be a game to forget.
Half Time: St James Swifts 0-0 Lisburn Distillery
Five minutes after the break St James looked set to take the lead when a player cut in from the right wing and got past a couple of Distillery defenders but in a stroke of fortune he seemed to trip over the ball at the crucial moment and Whiteway was able to clear the danger.
The opening goal did come five minutes later though and it did go the way of the home side, Hylands latched onto a long ball down field from McLaughlin and diverted the ball past the onrushing Donnelly and over the line much to the frustration of the Distillery supporters and players alike.
Distillery set off in search of an equaliser and there was a nervy moment for the home side when a dangerous looking cross from substitute Jamie Devenny towards the back post had to be headed over the bar by a defender. Three minutes later the St James goal came under threat again when McLaughlin poorly dealt with a McKee cross from Warwick’s short corner and fell to Sharkey but he could not keep his effort below the bar.
The visitor’s day worsened in the 75th minute when Glackin and a defender both attacked a Devenny cross into the box but when the Distillery player caught the opposition player, the referee blew for a foul and flashed the Whites player his second yellow card of the game. This of course meant that the Ballyskeagh men would face an even more uphill battle, seeing out the remainder of the game with ten men.
The Whites had a few set pieces in the closing stages of the game but ultimately these came to nothing and McLaughlin went untested in the opposition goal for most of the game. A poor result and a poor start to the season for Distillery but we go again on Tuesday night when we travel to Warrenpoint in the League Cup.
Full Time: St James Swifts 1-0 Lisburn Distillery
Lisburn Distillery; Donnelly, Sharkey, Brennan, Whiteway, Warwick, Glackin, McKee, Grattan, Geddis, McVicker, McCart
Lisburn Distillery substitutions; McConnellogue, Lundy, Devenny (for Geddis, 49 mins), Hosick (for McVicker, 60 mins), Lavery (for Whiteway, for 77 mins)