Match Report v Willowbank – 27/10/25

Lisburn Distillery v Willowbank (ToalsBet.Com Steel & Sons Cup 4th Round) – Saturday 27th September 2025

It was a first home game in almost a month for Lisburn Distillery as we welcomed last season’s beaten finalists Willowbank to New Grosvenor in the Steel & Sons Cup.

There were a number of changes to the starting eleven from our previous game two weeks prior against St Marys YC; David Alfred made his full debut and captain Aaron Cochrane started for the first time this season. There were also starts for goalkeeper Ruadhan McKenna and Adam McCart; Marcus Thompson, Caleb Crawford, Ben Napier and Benny Igiehon were the players who dropped out.

Distillery started the game brightly and Gerard Storey had the first effort on goal after three minutes but his free kick from a few yards outside the box went well over the crossbar. Two minutes later the visitors did attack down the left and McKenna was called to action to deny Lee McGuinness but with the angle not really favouring the attacking player, it was a comfortable enough save for the Whites stopper at his near post.

The Whites broke the deadlock after eight minutes when Cochrane stole the ball from Michael McClory in the final third and crossed into the visitor’s box. Gary Manson cleared the ball but only as far as Storey, whose shot from the edge of the box was deflected by opposition captain Ciaran Manson into the path of Guillaume Keke who slotted home.

Stephen Hughes’ side were in the ascendency at this stage and in the 11th minute Cochrane sent a low cross into the Willowbank box from the left towards Alfred and Keke but Gary Manson managed to clear the danger. Seconds later a Cochrane shot had to be blocked by another visiting defender after a Dean Lewis cross from the opposite flank. After a blistering opening 15 minutes Distillery seemed to drop the tempo but Willowbank goalkeeper, Owen Kennedy, was still called into action to push long-range efforts from Keke and Josh Lynch behind for corners, which the Whites were not able to make count.

Willowbank were handed a way back into the game in the 26th minute when Storey slipped trying to control the ball about five yards into the visiting half, this allowed Declan Gill to pick up possession for his side and he set off into the Whites half. The tricky number 7 played a one-two with Arberi Karrabecaj and then broke into the box, touching the ball past the oncoming McKenna and going down as the Distillery ‘keeper made contact.

The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot and there were few complaints. Gary Hastings took on the responsibility for his side and while McKenna went the right way, he got nowhere near the spot kick sent into his bottom left hand corner.

After the equaliser, the visitors began to gain the upper hand for the remainder of the first half, although McKenna was seldom troubled it would have to be said. It may be fair to say that the half time whistle was a welcome sound for Hughes’ men as the sides made their way into the dressing rooms all square.

Half Time: Lisburn Distillery 1-1 Willowbank

The second half had quite a cagey start but it was Willowbank who had the first effort of note, Gill shooting wide from a couple of yards outside the box after cutting in from the visitors right and linking up with Hastings.

Just past the hour mark half time substitute Ben Napier did superbly well to keep Kyle Anderson’s ball forward from the Whites half in play right on the by-line and he then sent the ball into the visitor’s box first time from the right where Lynch was arriving.

However, the midfielder was unable to make a clean connection to the ball under pressure from a defender and Gary Manson was on hand to clear the ball away from the Willowbank goal from almost on the line.

With a little less than 20 minutes of play remaining Leon Lavery’s delightful curling cross from the left was flicked on by Cochrane but much to the Distillery faithful’s growing frustration there was no one there to get the crucial touch needed to send the ball over the line. Distillery survived a scare in the 81st minute when a free kick delivered from the Willowbank right found a visiting player with a diving header in the six-yard box but McKenna did well to get a hand to the ball and push it away.

A Willowbank player had a second bite of the cherry though, which astonishingly deflected off Anderson and onto the post before the Whites ‘keeper was finally able to firmly claim the ball. Distillery supporters thought their moment to celebrate had come with four minutes of normal time remaining when Lynch delivered a free kick into the box and McCart, as he did so often last season, rose highest to meet the ball.

Unfortunately, on this occasion, the experienced defender could not keep his header down and the ball went over Kennedy’s crossbar. As we headed into injury time it looked like the two sides were only to be separated by the dreaded penalty shootout but Distillery hearts were broken when Napier conceded a free kick just a couple of yards into the Distillery half.

The ball was pumped forward by the Willowbank player and headed on into the box were Caleb Crawford, who had only just entered the field of play moments before, turned the ball past his own ‘keeper to all but seal the win for the visitors. Due to an injury to a visiting player earlier in the half, there was a substantial amount of time added on but the Whites struggled to land a punch and the most drama were Distillery appeals for a handball after a visiting defender blocked a Keke header but the referee was unconvinced.

Therefore, the Whites exist the Steel & Sons Cup at the fourth round stage and after having started so well in the game are left kicking themselves for the opportunity lost. There is not much time for wound licking though as the attention turns back to the league for Newry City away on Friday night.

Full Time: Lisburn Distillery 1-2 Willowbank

Lisburn Distillery; McKenna, Lewis, Lavery, Brennan, McCart, Lynch, Cochrane (C), Keke, Anderson, Alfred, Storey Lisburn Distillery substitutions; A. Sharkey, O’Hara, Torrens (for Brennan, 68 mins), Napier (for Alfred, 46 mins), Crawford (for Anderson, 88 mins)