Ballyclare Gazette - Sports - Comrades end year on winning form

Sports

Comrades end year on winning form

Thursday, 5 January 2012

Armagh City 0 , Ballyclare Comrades 4: BALLYCLARE COMRADES ended 2011 on a high note, with a comprehensive win at Armagh City, to further boost their reviving promotion hopes.
After a three week break in games, manager Eddie Hill kept faith with the bulk of the side which had won the previous match at Lurgan Celtic.
However, he had to do without inspirational defender William Wharry who is on honeymoon.
Stuart McCullough returned, filling the gap at centre-back. Ross Glendinning also returned in goal, after being cup-tied for the Lurgan Celtic game, to play his last match for the club at the end of a successful loan spell from Linfield.
Comrades started strongly with the wind at their back and penned the home side into their own half for long periods early on with some lively attacking play, despite the rather boggy playing surface.
It wasn't long before the reward for their bright start game in the form of the opening goal.
In the 11th minute Ricky Higgins slipped a delightful ball through the Armagh defence and into the run of Mark McClelland who took it in his stride and confidently slid it past the advancing keeper and into the net from eight yards.
On 17 minutes McClelland had the chance to double his tally when a long high ball beat the home defence and set him free one-on-one with the keeper again.
However, this time his finish lacked the composure of his earlier effort and he fired a wild shot over the bar from 10 yards out.
A minute later however, Comrades did increase their lead. A corner was won on the right and Andrew Simms whipped in a typically dangerous ball to the six-yard box which was met by the head of Ricky Higgins, who converted from four yards, despite the efforts of defender to keep the ball out.
Comrades were in complete control at this stage and if their shooting had been a bit more accurate they might have increased the led further, as chances were being made with almost every attack.
In the 23rd minute a corner into the home box was only cleared out to Lee Rushe and he fired back a low shot from 20 yards, which Morgan was well placed to save. Four minutes later however, Rushe had to limp off injured to be replaced by Aaron Ibinson.
Armagh had shown little going forward for the first quarter of the game, but as the first half progressed they began to get a fair share of possession.
Their first real effort of note came in the 29th minute when Cusack cut in from the right and struck a shot from 16 yards which forced a save from Ross Glendinning.
Comrades however were still making the most opportunities.
In the 33rd minute Aaron Ibinson did well to feed Mark McClelland and the striker got in a shot from 22 yards, but Morgan was able to save comfortably low on his line.
Then, a minute later, an Andrew Simms corner from the left went to the back post where it was headed back across the six-yard box by McClelland towards Ricky Higgins, who was caught rather on his heels and could only head over from four yards out.
The lively Higgins was to the fore again on 38 minutes when he picked up the ball just outside his own box, after an Armagh corner had been cleared, and surged most of the length of the field before getting off a shot from 20 yards, which flew wide of the target.
The teams went in at half-time with Comrades looking well in control.
However, Armagh opened the second half strongly, with the conditions now in their favour.
They pressed forward and made some good chances early on. In the 51st minute a ball played into the box from the right was flicked towards goal by Cusack, five yards out, and only kept out by a great reaction save from Ross Glendinning.
A minute later the young keeper was again called to make a superb save. This time a ball in from the left found the head of Grimley and his powerful effort from six yards was somehow kept out.
Then on 53 minutes Glendinning again thwarted the home side when he tipped over a shot from the right edge of the box from Grimley.
Comrades survived this spell of intense Armagh pressure and as time wore on the home side's threat lessened, although they did come close with a free-kick from Moore on 65 minutes, which curled just wide of the post from 20 yards.
At the other end, the visitors almost scored with their own free-kick on 68 minutes, but Scott Irvine's effort from just outside the box was acrobatically tipped over by Morgan.
Towards the latter part of the second half, Comrades reasserted themselves on the game and they more or less sealed the points with a penalty on 79 minutes.
The spot-kick was awarded after Scott Irvine was brought down by Moore on the edge of the box.
The home players protested that the foul was outside the area, but to no avail, and Irvine stepped up himself to strike the penalty home, in off the inside of the post.
Seconds later, Armagh full-back O'Neill, who had strongly protested the penalty award, was sent off for continuing his remonstrations with the referee.
A fine day's work for Comrades was capped with a fourth goal in the 88th minute. Nicky Sharples did well to cut in from the right and feed Keith Armstrong on the edge of the box.
He then set off on a forceful surge across the penalty area, past a number of defenders, before firing in a low shot from 10 yards.
The keeper could only parry it out and Ricky Higgins was on the scene to plant the ball into the net from five yards.
The visitors continued to press for more goals in the closing minutes of the game, but can be more than satisfied with the final four-goal margin of victory.
Comrades now have cup games on the next two Saturdays, with an Intermediate Cup game at Dundela on January 7, followed by the glamour Irish Cup trip to Linfield on 14th January.
Ballyclare Comrades team
Ross Glendinning, Craig Reid, Stuart McCullough, Glenn Pierce, Anthony Hill, Scott Irvine, Keith Armstrong, Lee Rushe, Andrew Simms, Ricky Higgins, Mark McClelland
Subs: Aaron Ibinson (27 mins for Rushe), Nicky Sharples (70 mins for McClelland), Johnny McClurg (72 mins for Ibinson), Stephen McDowell (not used), Philip Logue (not used)