UlsterNet.co.uk

Comrades continue cup crusade!

Wednesday, 20 January 2010

Ballyclare Comrades 5.
Islandmagee 1.
Saturday 16th January 2010 - JJB Sports Irish Cup (Fifth Round)
COMRADES advanced to the sixth round of the Irish Cup, earning a money spinning tie against Glentoran, with an impressive demolition of Islandmagee at Dixon Park.
Manager Gordon Chambers had to make changes for this match, with Simon McGowan, Andy Simms, Stuart Galbraith and Ronnie Burns not available.
Scott Irvine, recovered from a recent injury, and Keith Armstrong came in on the flanks, with David Officer, also fit again, returning to centre midfield, where he teamed up with Andy Forsythe, who had been moved from his usual left-back position. Darren Munster came into the side at left-back. New signing from Moyola Park defender Lee Rushe took a place on the bench.
This was on paper a difficult tie for Comrades, with Amateur League clubs taking a number of notable Championship scalps in cups this season, but having been out of action due to the wintery weather for almost a month, Comrades looked up for the task against committed opponents.
However, it was the visitors who had the first effort on goal inside the 1st minute when a Waide free-kick from 25 yards flew just over the bar.
Comrades, however, were soon into their stride in an entertaining first half, where both sides played attacking football. On 4 minutes the home side had their first effort on goal when Andy Forsythe hit a well struck effort from 20 yards, after a corner had been cleared from the Islandmagee box, but his effort was too close to keeper Harrison who saved comfortably.
Three minutes later and Comrades had the lead, although a large slice of luck was involved. Ricky Moore chased down a loose ball inside the visitors box and caused a defender to hit a panicky clearance straight at Phillips, who could not get out of the way and the ball rebounded off the luckless ex-Comrades youth player and into the next past the stranded keeper.
Islandmagee had a great chance to equalise almost straight away when a throw in to the box found Moffatt in space 10 yards from goal, but he sliced his effort well over the bar from a very good position.
The visitors were made to pay for defensive slackness on 11 minutes, as Comrades scored a second goal. Mark McClelland, who was to be a thorn in the side of the Islandmagee defence all afternoon, won the ball off McKnight on the right edge of the box and advanced to shoot low under the diving keeper, just inside the near post.
Comrades had a great chance to go three up on 17 minutes when, with the side pressing forward and the visitors' defence at sixes and sevens, the ball broke to Scott Irvine in a good position the box, but he dragged his shot low wide of the far post from 12 yards out.
Although Comrades looked pretty much in control, Islandmagee did have a number of threatening moves. The best of these came on 36 minutes and ended with Waide volleying powerfully on target from 12 yards and only being denied by a great save from Allen Huxley, which proved to be very important in the context of the match.
Four minutes later Comrades increased the lead when a long high ball from the back found the run of Mark McClelland down the left and he muscled his way past two defenders before slotting the ball wide of the advancing keeper for a fine individual goal.
The action continued right to the final minutes of the half, with a couple of late chances at either end. In the 43rd minute the dangerous Waide hit a free-kick from the left corner of the box low just past the base of the post. Then, on 45 minutes, Comrades had a good effort on goal, when a free-kick from the left, played into the box by Scott Irvine, found the head of Mark McClelland, who was lurking near the penalty spot, but his effort was denied by a good save from Harrison to tip the ball over the bar.
Islandmagee started the second half well and looked determined to get back into the game. On 49 minutes Hilditch struck a decent effort from 22 yards just wide of the post.
A minute later, at the other end, the lively Keith Armstrong saw a shot from 20 yards go just over the bar. However, in the 51st minute, the visitors had a lifeline in the match with a goal back. A cross was played into the box from the left and Allen Huxley got fingertips to it but could not prevent it dropping invitingly to Waide inside the 6-yard box and he made no mistake with an easy opportunity.
The pace of the game continued unabated and both sides continued to attack. A minute after conceding, Comrades almost restored the three goal cushion when David Officer struck a free-kick from 22 yards, which Harrison had to tip low past the post.
Officer, however, had an even better chance on 59 minutes, when he burst through to go one on one with the keeper and attempted to dink the ball over the advancing Harrison, but he did not get enough on it and his effort was blocked.
Islandmagee's good spell at the start of the second half began to fade as they looked to tire and Comrades re-asserted their ascendency. On 63 minutes they restored the three goal lead when Andy Forsythe played a perfect pass through the square back line into the path of a well-time Keith Armstrong run. Armstrong reached the ball a split second before the advancing keeper, just inside the box, knocking it past him and into the empty net.
Now it was just a matter of how many Comrades would score. They almost had a fifth in the 72nd minute when Mark McClelland again brushed past a defender and surged into the box, before striking a shot across the keeper, but just wide of the far post from 10 yards.
However, a fifth goal did come on 81 minutes. A good move involving fine play by Keith Armstrong and Scott Irvine ended with the ball being played to substitute Johnny Gowdy in the box and he made no mistake shooting low into the net from 12 yards, despite the keeper getting a touch to it.
Comrades kept pressing for more goals right to the end, with the best chance coming in the 85th minute. Good work by Johnny Gowdy down the left saw him trick his way around a couple of defenders and play the ball to Mark McClelland in the box. McClelland in turn teed up Keith Armstrong for a 13 yard shot which went just wide of the target.
Islandmagee's misery was completed in the 86th minute when Waide was sent-off for raising his hands in a scuffle just inside his own half. However, by this stage Comrades were already clear and deserved victors.
This was a very pleasing result and performance from Comrades, who looked a side hungry for action after a long lay off. There were fine performance all over the park and the reward is a glamour tie in the next round of the Cup.
Ballyclare Comrades team: Allen Huxley, Sam McWilliams, Andy Long, Stuart McCullough, Darren Munster, Scott Irvine, Simon McGowan, Andy Forsythe (capt), Keith Armstrong, Ricky Moore, Mark McClelland
Subs: Johnny Gowdy (76 mins, for Moore), Lee Rushe (82 mins, for McWilliams), Gareth Curlett (87 mins, for Irvine), Stuart Galbraith (not used)

Subscribe to read full newspaper »

Send this page to a friend »