Comrades hit them for six
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
Kilmore Rec 1. Ballyclare Comrades 6.
Saturday 27th September 2008 - Steel & Sons Cup (Fourth Round).
COMRADES shook off the disappointment of the poor midweek performance against Carrick Rangers to advance to the quarter-finals of the Steel & Sons Cup, with an emphatic win over Kilmore Rec in Crossgar.
For this game manager Jamesy Kirk was forced to make a number of changes, with several players unavailable for various reasons. Davy Freyne made his first appearance for a month, with Andy Simms also getting a start.
With Mark Craig moving to the right-wing, Comrades had a striking partnership of Eddie Hill and Aaron Wallace who had both started on the bench in midweek.
From the outset Comrades looked like a team with something to prove as they tormented their Amateur League opponents with a number of dangerous attacking moves.
In the 2nd minute Aaron Wallace got his head to a Michael Smith cross from the right, but his effort from 10 yards went over the bar. Then, ten minutes later, Wallace was again involved as he did well to keep the ball in on the by-line and played it to Simon McGowan who in turn fizzed a ball towards Eddie Hill arriving at the near post. Hill got his head to the ball, but was unlucky to see his effort deflect off a defender and wide of the target after coming off the post.
On 17 minutes Comrades made their dominance count with the opening goal. Simon McGowan played a great long ball diagonal ball to send Mark Craig free down the right. Craig then pulled the ball across to Eddie Hill in the box and the Comrades striker made space well before placing a shot from 12 yards past the keeper.
Four minutes later and the visitors went two up. A great ball into the box by Simon McGowan from the right was met by a good downward header by Mark Craig. Somehow Kilmore keeper Gordon managed to make a super one handed save low inside the post, but he was unlucky to see the ball fall to Michael Smith, who tapped home easily a foot from the goal line.
Comrades were unlucky to not go three up a minute later when Mark Craig hit an audacious lob over the keeper from 35 yards, but the rebounded back out off the underside of the crossbar.
Whilst looking generally outclassed the home side had shown some spirit up front and on the half hour they pulled a goal back when Adler beat Evan Forsythe, who was struggling with an injury, in the box and fired an unstoppable finish into the roof of the net from the left side of the 6-yard box.
Comrades had perhaps lost their focus somewhat and they endured a short period when Kilmore looked reasonably threatening. However, Jamesy Kirk's men restored the two goal advantage the 39th minute. Simon McGowan was again heavily involved. This time he surged past two men into the box before playing the ball across to Aaron Wallace, who neatly flicked it past his marker and shot firmly into the net from 6 yards.
The first half ended on a worrying note, as the home side was about to take a corner, with collapse of goal scorer Adler. The player was found to have played most of the half with concussion and was later taken away in an ambulance. The second half consequently started in strange fashion with Comrades kicking off and deliberately conceding a corner to allow the host to take the set-piece denied them at the end of the first half. Nothing came of it, but it took Comrades a few minutes to get into their stride in the second period, with Evan Forsythe still looking uncomfortable and having to be replaced only six minutes in. During this period Kilmore had a great chance to pull a goal back when on 49 minutes Rogan broke through one on one with Ian Mannus, who somehow managed to deflect his low shot up over the bar.
Gradually the visitors began to build momentum again after the brief flurry from Kilmore has died away. On 57 minutes a drive cross from the left by Davy Freyne was met by a good first time shot by Mark Craig from the edge of the box, but Gordon was well positioned to save. Then, two minutes later Mark Craig headed the ball down towards Eddie Hill who again made space in the box for a shot, but this time his effort hit the base of the post and rebounded back into the arms of the grateful keeper.
Comrades were now completely in control and looking capable of scoring with almost every attack. They came close again on 63 minutes when another great ball into the box by Simon McGowan was glanced just wide of the post by the head of Mark Craig from 5 yards out.
McGowan himself had a good shot from just outside the box well saved by Gordon on 65 minutes. However, it was not long before the visitors did increase their lead on 66 minutes. Aaron Wallace attempted to turn past his marker in the box but was brought down. The referee awarded a penalty and Michael Smith stepped up to plant the ball high into the back of the net.
Aaron Wallace almost got his name on the score sheet again on 71 minutes, when he met an Andy Simms cross from the left with a bullet header from 8 yards, which flew just over the angle of bar and post.
With the game as good as won Jamesy Kirk introduced prolific young reserve team striker Darren Nelson for his competitive debut and he soon made his mark being involved in Comrades fifth goal in the 81st minute. He did well to feed the ball to Andy Simms whose cross from the left to the back post was met by a looping header by Mark Craig, which went over the keeper and just inside the far post.
To their credit Kilmore still plugged away gamely to try to pull a goal back and on 83 minutes Ian Mannus had to block low at the feet of Rogan as the striker rushed in on goal.
Comrades should have increased the lead on 88 minutes when Simon McGowan set Michael Smith free down the right and the resulting cross looked perfect for Mark Craig to score from inside the 6 yard box, but somehow he fluffed his effort and the chance was gone.
A minute into injury-time Comrades fine day was completed with a debut goal for Darren Nelson, as he latched onto a loose ball in the box and fired a shot from 12 yards into the roof of the net past the helpless keeper.
This was a good performance from Comrades in a potential banana skin tie. They absolutely outclassed their opponents with fluent attacking football and were very good value for the margin of victory.
Ballyclare Comrades team
Ian Mannus, Michael Smith, Evan Forsythe, Ryan Murray, Davy Freyne, Mark Craig, Simon McGowan, Stuart McClean, Andy Simms, Eddie Hill, Aaron Wallace
Bench: Andy Long (51 mins, for Forsythe), Darren Nelson (77 mins, for Hill), Gareth Curlett (84 mins, for Wallace), Allen Huxley (not used)
