Larne Olympic 1 Lisburn Distillery Seconds 3 (HT 1-0)
|
The first half was a non-event for the Whites, they allowed Larne too much room, did not close them down quickly enough, and when they got the ball they either gave it away or booted it down the middle for the home defenders to head it straight back down the pitch again. So it was no surprise when the home side took the lead, with the Whites back four all over the place, a neat build up by Larne saw a home forward give the keeper little chance with a ground shot into the corner of the net. The second half saw the Whites settle and they began to pressurise the home defence. In the 60th minute Conor Hagan broke through on the left, and was brought down by a home defender, penalty. Marty Verner slotted the penalty home sending the keeper the wrong way. Now the Whites were beginning to get into their stride, and Hagan and James Bell were becoming the dominant forces in midfield. The second goal arrived courtesy of Lee Mercer who slotted home from close range. The third duly arrived ten minutes from time when Verner stabbed the ball home from close range after a goalmouth scramble. |
Mark Armstrong
Matthew Neill, James Forsythe, Jonny Magee, Mark Whitford
Niall Gardiner, James Bell, Conor Hagan, Mark Patton
Lee Mercer, Marty Verner
Subs: Kevin Hunter, Aaron Holmes, Terry Cavanagh.
Scorers: Lee Mercer, Marty Verner 2.
A game of two halves, Larne won the battle in the first half, and the Whites were the better team in the second.
Although we won the game comfortably in the end, this should not distract from a poor first half, which saw us struggle to play the good football we are capable of. Our back four will have to learn to keep their shape under pressure, midfield will have to stop the opposition’s midfield from playing and ensure a good supply of ball for our front men. The front men will have to work harder at holding the ball up, and stop them playing the ball out from the back.
Now the griping has finished, well done to young Mark Patton, a thorn in their side the whole game, and also Mark Armstrong, for keeping us in the game in the first half, when it looked as if we would concede more than one goal.
David Taylor
