Match Report v Warrenpoint Town – 13/1/26

With Saturday’s game at New Grosvenor postponed due to the frosty conditions Lisburn Distillery made the trip to Milltown to face Championship side Warrenpoint Town in the 5th round of the Clearer Water Irish Cup, as per competition rules. The prize on offer for the eventual winner of the tie was a home draw against Premiership opposition in the shape of either Ballymena United or Larne.

 

The two sides are no strangers to each other, they faced off a total of four times last season and while Gary Boyle’s men had the better of the league meetings, winning both as Point went on to be crowned Premier Intermediate League (PIL) champions, the cup ties were much tighter affairs.

 

It took extra time to find a winner when the sides met in the League Cup at Milltown at the start of the season, with the home side eventually coming out on top, but when they met for the final time last season in the Intermediate Cup at New Grosvenor it was Distillery who emerged triumphant after a penalty shootout.

 

It was a month to the day since the Whites last took to the field against Banbridge Town, our opponents in contrast having played three games since then, so there were a few changes to the side.

 

New signings Jordan Morrison, who captained the side for the first game of his second spell, Dylan Davidson and goalkeeper Ryan Kerr went straight into the starting eleven. Benny Igiehon also returned, having been suspended for the aforementioned Banbridge game, while David Alfred, Jude O’Hara, Marcus Thompson and Aaron Boyd were the players to make way. Another recent signing in the form of Jamie McDonagh started on the bench, while other new recruits Callum Mills and Nathan Best were cup-tied having played in the competition already this season for Rathfriland Rangers and Ballyclare Comrades respectively.

 

Both sides went on the attack almost from the off, with Lee Forsythe’s visitors winning a corner in the first minute but this came to nothing and at the other end Aaron Sharkey had to block a header from Michael Leddy before Dean Lewis cleared the danger.

With just over five minutes played Davidson sent an inviting first time cross into the box from the left after Gerard Storey won possession back for the visitors and Ryan Sharkey played the ball wide but this flashed across the face of goal with no one able to get a crucial touch.

 

The PIL side took the lead in the 9th minute through a superb strike from Leon Lavery, who struck a pile driver home from the left that gave goalkeeper Daniel Devine no chance and all of a sudden, it looked like an upset could be on the card, though there was still a lot of football to be played.

 

Ten minutes after going ahead Distillery survived a scare when a cross was sent into the box from the right towards Declan Loye and his header looked like it struck the hand of Morrison but the Warrenpoint penalty appeals were dismissed by Mark Milligan.

With 27 minutes played, the visitors had the ball in the back of the goal for the second time of the night, Lavery turning provider this time for Igiehon but the Distillery celebrations were cut short by a raised flag from the Assistant Referee.

 

The ball was in the goal again three minutes later but this time up the other end as Adam Carroll got on the end of a cross into the Distillery box to bring the Championship side level.

 

Guillaume Keke had two opportunities to regain the Distillery lead in the final 10 minutes of the opening half; firstly, he was put through by Igiehon but could not keep his composure with only Devine to beat and fired well off target and then his deft header from a Dean Lewis close went only just wide of the goal.

 

The first half was soon after brought to a close and the sides went in level but the Whites could certainly be pleased with their opening 45 minutes and may have even been disappointed not to have been going in ahead, Forsythe will no doubt have been the happier of the two managers.

 

 

The second half had a fairly cagey start to it with the main talking points in the opening minutes being a couple of feisty challenges; Callum McComb conceded a free kick in the centre circle following a late tackle but it was just a talking to for the young Distillery midfielder. Shane Haughey was not as lucky for the home side as he was shown a yellow card for catching Ryan Sharkey late and became Point’s first booking of the game, joining Morrison in the notebook.

 

The home side took the lead 10 minutes after the restart when the Distillery defence seemed to have a momentary lapse in concentration; this led to something of a scramble in front of Kerr’s goal with Loye eventually managing to get the ball over the line.

 

Boyle’s side now had the wind in their sails and could have added to their lead two minutes later when Jim O’Hanlon caught a cross from the Distillery left well on the volley but Kerr showed good hands to hold onto the ball.

 

There was little the debut ‘keeper could do for Distillery in the 60th minute though when former Whites player Conall Murray fired home a sublime long range effort to make it 3-1 to the home side and perhaps at this stage most people in the ground thought the game was done and dusted.

 

Distillery had other ideas though and just a minute later, the ball was played beyond the Warrenpoint defence with Igiehon running on to pick it up. Devine came charging out of his area and collided with the big Distillery frontman, with Keke picking up on the loose ball and atoning for his earlier miss to guide the ball home with Devine still out of action.

 

Distillery then completed their revival four minutes later, Igiehon chased the ball down into the left channel and crossed into the box but it was just too high for Keke to get anything onto it. However McDonagh, who had just been introduced from the bench a minute earlier, was coming in at the back post and volleyed the ball past Devine to equalise and score his first goal for the Whites with quite possibly his first touch for the club.

 

After an action packed ten minutes there was a chance for everyone to catch their breath and the only action of note for a while was another long range Murray effort but this time the Point player was high and wide.

 

In the final 15 minutes of normal time Keke sent a beautiful cross into the Warrenpoint box towards Igiehon at the back post but the striker just could not direct his stopping header on target and at the other end Kerr made a good save to deny a powerful O’Hanlon strike from the edge of the box.

 

Heading into injury time the Whites were almost dealt a cruel blow when a low shot from a Warrenpoint player in the box deflected off another blue shirt and for a moment, it looked like the ball might go anywhere but fortunately enough went behind for a goal kick.

 

In the end, the referee blew to signal the end of the 90 minutes and for the third time in about 18 months there was nothing to separate Warrenpoint and Distillery in cup action over the course of 90 minutes and we would now require 30 minutes of extra time.

 

The visitors had the first real sight of goal in the second minute of extra time. A high cross into the box was cleared away from Igiehon but only as far as Distillery substitute Aaron Boyd but he hit his shot from just inside the box into the ground and this took any power and pace out of it and made it a comfortable save for Devine.

 

Warrenpoint then regained the lead in the 96th minute when Kerr parried a strike from outside the box but could do little as the rebound fellow for substitute Eoghan Byrne to hammer home much to the joy, and perhaps some relief, of Boyle’s men.

 

The home side then should have put the game to bed in added time at the end of the first period of extra time but the Point player somehow blazed the ball over the goal and out of the stadium when it looked easier to score.

 

There was plenty of endeavour from Distillery throughout the additional 30 minutes but unfortunately that final ball just didn’t seem to drop for the front men and you could see perhaps the week’s without football where taking a toll with the energy levels fading a little.

 

There were some crosses fired into the Warrenpoint box in the second period of extra time from Lavery and McDonagh but these were dealt with by Devine and his defence and handball appeals following a cross from the latter were turned away.

 

Still the Whites continued to plug away and managed to win a corner in the final minute, goalkeeper Kerr looked to the bench and got the nod from Forsythe to join the attack. The Distillery stopper would remain in the opposition half for virtually the remainder of the game but there was to be no fairy-tale ending and eventually time was called on the Whites 2025 / 2026 Irish Cup journey.

 

Few could fault the effort and desire shown by the Distillery side who went toe-to-toe with a side from the league above throughout the entire 120 minutes and deservedly the players were given a rousing reception from the travelling faithful as they made their way off the pitch.

 

We wish Warrenpoint well in the next round and for the remainder of the season, while for ourselves it is back to league action on Saturday with a trip to face Oxford Sunnyside in the PIL.

 

 

Lisburn Distillery; Kerr (GK), Lewis, Lavery, Morrison (C), McComb, R. Sharkey, Igiehon, Keke, A. Sharkey, Davidson, Storey

 

Lisburn Distillery substitutions; Thompson (GK), Boyd (for Davidson, 87 mins), Torrens, McDonagh (for Storey, 64 mins), Napier (for Keke, 97 mins), Robinson, Alfred (for McComb, 81 mins)