Match report (reproduced with permission and thanks) Copyright Lisburn Distillery.net and David Taylor

Match Report from David Taylor

The Whites took an early lead in their first game of the season in the George Wilson Cup, when James Wright nodded home a corner from the right, from close range, but then they sat back and allowed Larne to take control for the next twenty minutes. But, on the half hour mark, a lovely through ball from Andrew Dickson allowed Darren Armour to burst through the visitor’s defence, and he coolly slotted home their second goal. The Whites dominated the rest of the half and on the stroke of half time Dickson prodded the ball home from six yards out, when Armour beat the keeper to the ball and nodded it back for Dickson to score.

The second half saw the visitors’ pull one back in the forty-seventh minute, when a slip by a home defender allowed the Larne forward to score. This was the last of Larne’s attacking in this half, as the Whites again resumed control of the game and further goals by Armour 2, Wright and substitute new boy Greg Dixon saw the Whites run out easy winners.

Manager's Comments

An excellent start to the new season, as with a mixture of youth and experience the team gelled well and were never in any danger of losing this game. With two new starts at the heart of the defence, McVea and Bonny, they really had a good start to their season, Wright and Dickson controlling midfield, and the lethal Armour up front, we were solid at the back creative in the middle and deadly up-front. So a good start but we are away to the Glens next week and this game should really test the team much more than today’s game, but we fear no one and look forward to the battle at the Oval.

David Taylor

Team

Mark Armstrong

Matthew Neill, Glen McVea, Philip Bonny, Mark Whitford

Mark Patton, Andrew Dickson, James Wright, Kyle McQuillan

Lee Mercer, Darren Armour

Subs: Ciaran Brannigan, Greg Dixon, Alan Coates.

Scorers: D. Armour 3, J. Wright 2, A. Dickson, G. Dixon

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Match report (reproduced with permission and thanks) Copyright Lisburn Distillery.net and David Taylor

Match Report from David Taylor

The Whites should have been awarded a penalty in the tenth minute when Ciaran Brannigan broke through and was brought down from behind inside the box, but to the amazement of everyone, the referee gave a free kick on the edge of the box. The resultant free kick by Andrew Dickson went narrowly over the crossbar, but a few minutes later Brannigan was replaced by Gregg Dixon, as a result of the incident.

The home team were beginning to dominate, but they rarely troubled David Wilton in the visitor’s goal, and when Damien McLaughlin broke through on the left he tamely knocked the ball into Elliot Morris's hands, a good chance went begging. The Whites though took the lead after half an hour, when a sweet move involving James Bell and Dickson, saw full back Matthew Neill overlapping and his wicked cross was firmly headed home by new boy Dixon, his second in two games, at the back post giving Morris no chance in the home goal.

The second half was a repeat of the first with the Glens pushing hard for an equaliser but lacking the finish up front, and unfortunately the Whites gifted them a goal in the seventieth minute, when Bell and Mark Whitford got in each other's way, and the Glens winger broke free on the right and blasted home from close range. This inspired the Whites more than the Glens, and they should have capitalised on the superb crosses from the right by Dickson, but Bell, Carl Rezai, and Mark Patton all put in weak headers to allow the Glens share the points, and also share the lead at the top of our section.

Manager's Comments

Looking at the chances we created late in the second half, a draw seemed a loss of two points, but over the full period of the game a neutral would have said a draw was a fair result, as the Glens dominated for large parts of the game without being able to score from all their good midfield work. At the back Alderdice had a really good game, and aided by new boy McVea, snuffed out many chances, which could have led to goals. Dickson on the right was a real handful, and his crosses, especially in the second half should have resulted in more goals, and young Dixon, who replaced Brannigan after ten minutes, looks an exciting prospect. We are at home to Armagh City on Tuesday night and hope to pick up three points to keep up our challenge for a semi-final place, as winners of our section.

David Taylor

Team

David Wilton

Matthew Neill, Glen McVea, Neil Alderdice, Mark Whitford

Andrew Dickson, Carl Rezai, James Bell, Damien McLaughlin

Lee Mercer, Ciaran Brannigan

Subs: Mark Wells, Greg Dixon, Mark Patton.

Scorer: Greg Dixon.

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Match report (reproduced with permission and thanks) Copyright Lisburn Distillery.net and David Taylor

Match Report from David Taylor

Match Report

The Whites fell behind after only eight minutes when a Gentoran midfielder easily slotted home the opening goal. Although struggling to get a grip on the game, the Whites equalised ten minutes later, when a sweet move down the left, saw Kyle McQuillan pull the ball back from the bye-line and Mark Cooling slid the ball into the corner of the Glens' goal from the edge of the box. But, thirty seconds later the Glens went in front again, when a ball floated in from the left saw, not one but two Glentoran players, have free headers before the ball landed in the back of the home goal, with the keeper stranded on his line. The remainder of the half saw the visitors dominate, as the Whites gave them to much room and allowed them to play, whilst they struggled to get any sort of rhythm into their game.

The second half was the exact opposite to the first, as the home defence got tight on their opponents, and the midfield players took control away from the visitors, but with Darren Armour having to come off at the break, the fire power was missing up front. But the Whites should have drawn level after twenty minutes of the second-half when a super strike from Greg Dixon, from eighteen yards out, rattled the visitor’s crossbar, bounced down on the line, and when it came up James Wright somehow managed to head it onto the bar again from three yards out and with no-one on the line, before it was scrambled clear. But ten minutes later the equaliser did appear, when a well-struck corner from Cooling was firmly headed home from eight yards out by Johnny Magee, giving the keeper no chance. The Whites were on top but could not find the winner as Glentoran heads dropped, but in the final minute, when a poorly taken free kick at the visitor’s end was booted into the Whites half they broke away and some poor defending saw the ball end up in the back of the home goal, for the visitors to take all three points.

Managers Comment

We should have won this game by a stretch, after having been second best in the first half we dominated after the break, but could not finish the good work created in midfield, and the visitors stole the three points in the last minute - what a sickener!. This leaves us with an uphill struggle to get a semi-final place as it puts the Glens on seven points and us on four, and we must now look for Armagh City or Larne to take points of the Glens, highly unlikely, but we have to hope and win our two games against Armagh and also our away trip to Larne.

David Taylor

Team

Mark Armstrong

Chris Murdoch, Glen McVea, Jonny Magee, Paul Elser

Mark Patton, Mark Cooling, James Wrigh, Kyle McQuillan

Greg Dixon, Darren Armour

Subs: Mark Wells, Karl Hogg, Sean Price.

Scorers: Mark Cooling, Jonny Magee

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Match report (reproduced with permission and thanks) Copyright Lisburn Distillery.net and David Taylor

Match Report from David Taylor

Match Report

The Whites were two up in fifteen minutes, as they dominated the opening stages of this game - that had been delayed twenty minutes due to the designated referee not turning up, the sides having to wait on a replacement - as Nathan McConnell found his scoring touch and finished both goals clinically. The pressure from the Whites was intense as they played some excellent football that had the visitors chasing shadows all over the park, and they scored another four goals before half time - a penalty, which gave McConnell his hat trick, Maano Ditshup, Mark Patton, and a neat volley at the back post from Jim McMenamim. Then two bad mistakes just before half time gave the visitors a glimmer of hope, when we went to sleep at the back and allowed them to score two goals, which were gifted to them.

The second half was a more evenly contested game with the Whites just shading it, but neither team really threatened to score, and the game petered out as an interesting event.

Manager's Comment

What a difference a seven days make! Last week, away to tonight's visitors we were dominant but unable to finish, tonight we scored every time we went forward in the first half, and could have been more than six up at the break. Two sloppy pieces of defending toward the end of the first half spoiled a great show, and gave the visitors something to cling to and hope for the second half, although they never got back into the game at all. This was a team performance and it would be unfair to pick out anyone for praise, everyone put in a good show and augers well for the league, which starts on the twenty-first of this month.

David Taylor.

Team

David Wilton

J.McMenamin, J. Magee, S.Thompson, J. Wright

M. Ditshup, J. Ward, Mark Cooling, G. Dixon

N. McConnell, M. Patton

Subs: N. McClarnon, P. Esler, G. McVea.

Scorers: N. McConnell 3, M. Ditshup, M.Patton, J. McMenamin

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Match report (reproduced with permission and thanks) Copyright Lisburn Distillery.net and David Taylor

Match Report from David Taylor

Match Report

The Whites took the lead in 10th minute when a superb cross-field ball from the right by Nathan McConnell, landed in front of Greg Dixon who hit a cracker from all of twenty yards out, to give the keeper no chance. This set the tone of the game and the Whites totally dominated the opening half, and further goals from Johnston and Curtis Allen (two), sent the away team in with a four-goal lead at half time.

The second half was even worse for the home team, as they had a man sent off, but the Whites did not let up and added a further seven goals, one from Allen who completed his hat trick, another from Aaron Johnston and Dixon, two from substitute Mark Patton, who replaced the injured Armour after fifty minutes, and one each for McConnell and full back Chris Murdoch, his first goal for the club.

Manager's Comment

Although we scored eleven, it could have been a lot more if we had taken all the chances we created, a thoroughly professional job, playing excellent football and showing lethal finishing in front of goal. It was a team performance with a solid back four, a creative midfield and lethal finishing up front, a nice end to our George Wilson Cup run.

Even though we only finished up as runners up in our group, thanks to a last minute goal being scored against us in the Glentoran game, a game which had we held out for the draw would have put us through instead of the Glens, on goal difference, so near yet so far.

David Taylor.

Team

David Wilton

Chris Murdoch, Dean Youle, Jonny Magee, Stuart Thompson

Nathan Mc Connell, James Wright, Aaron Johnston, Greg Dixon

Curtis Allen, Darren Armour

Subs: Mark Whitford, Mark Patton, Paul Elser.

Scorers: C. Allen 3, M. Patton 2, A. Johnston 2, G. Dixon 2,

N. Mc Connell 1, C. Murdoch 1.

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Magee 3, Moore 2, Dixon, McVea,Whitford, Blaney.

Match report (reproduced with permission and thanks) Copyright Lisburn Distillery.net and David Taylor

Match Report from David Taylor

Match Report

The Whites were strangely lack lustre in the opening period of this game, and they conceded a lot of the ball to the visitors, who had the better chances without really bothering keeper David Wilton in the home goal. In the tenth minute, against the run of play, they should have taken the lead when a badly defended corner, by the visitors, saw Mark Patton turn the ball over the top, from almost under the crossbar. Then Greg Dixon broke through on the left, but fired wide, and these were the only real chances the Whites made in the first half, as the visitors played the better football, with the home team depending on long balls up the middle which were easily dealt with by the opposing defence. In the dying moments of the first half Coleraine deservedly took the lead, when, with the home team calling for offside, a visiting forward broke clear and gave Wilton no chance in the home goal.

After ten minutes of the second half, a change in the home team set up saw Aaron Johnston go up front, with Dixon into the middle, and McQuillan out left, and this seemed to change the tempo of the game as the Whites started to play with real purpose, and the ball was being used to bring Maano Ditshup and McQuillan who were on the flanks, more into he game. This led to chances being created, and when Maano pulled one back from the bye line, Johnston drove the ball straight at the keeper, then Patton also shot straight at the keeper from 12 yards out. But the continued pressure told, when a corner was pulled back by Maano for Dixon to head home from close range.

Two minutes later the Whites went ahead when Johnston set Manno off down the right and his deep cross was volleyed home from twelve yards out by McQuillan. Then in the seventieth minute Manno himself could have scored, when from eighteen yards out he struck a beauty, but the visiting keeper made a super save to deny him a deserved goal. It was all the Whites now as Johnston was denied a goal by another cracking save, but again the pressure was too much and the Coleraine defence cracked as Patton scored from another Maano corner in the seventy-sixth minute. This should have wrapped the game up for the home team, but they took their foot of the pedal and allowed Coleraine back into the game when they scored in the eighty fifth minute, and they could have stole a share of the points as they hit the bar in the closing five minutes.

Manager's Comment

After a poor first half we played better in the second and just shaded a win against a dogged Coleraine side that never stopped working for each other. We will have to improve on this showing if we are to better out fourth position in the league last season. The back four were reasonably solid with Youle in fine form, but it was only after we made the changes, that the midfield got on top in the second half, with Maano have a cracking game out wide and creating many chances for our forwards. A welcome three points as we are away to Newry next Saturday.

David Taylor

Team

David Wilton

Chris Murdock, Dean Youle, Glen McVea, Paul Esser

Maano Ditshup, James Wright, Aaron Johnston, Greg Dixon

Neil McLarnon, Mark Patton

Subs: Matt Neill, Mark Whitford, Philip Bonny, Kyle McQuillan.

Scorers: Greg Dixon, Kyle McQuillan, M.Patton.

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Match report (reproduced with permission and thanks) Copyright Lisburn Distillery.net and David Taylor

Match Report from David Taylor

Match Report

Newry settled quicker than the visitors and were soon threatening the opposing defence, twice, only last ditch tackles by Johnny Magee and Dean Youle prevented the home side from testing keeper David Wilton. Lee Feeney, playing in the home side midfield, was the main danger to the Whites as he continually threaded telling passes through the channels and our own players could not cope with him. Luckily for the Whites he was carrying an injury and withdrew after 35 minutes, by which time the home side were two up.

The second half saw the Whites come more into the game, without really dominating it, and from a left wing corner, Magee headed powerfully past the home keeper. The Whites kept creating chances but the best fell chance of all fell to Curtis Allen, when substitute Mark Patton crossed from the right, almost from under the bar he somehow put it over. But then on the stroke of full time Allen made amends for his earlier miss when from another cross from Patton, he headed home from close range to earn the Whites a point.

Manager's Comments
A hard fought draw, which was a fair result, as both teams had an equal amount of play without really deserving to go on and take the three points. At the back Magee and Youle needed to be in top form as the home side threatened to over run us in the opening half hour. The midfield found it hard to get a firm grip on the game, and it was only in the closing twenty minutes, after Patton arrived on the scene, that we had any threat up front.

David Taylor

Team

David Wilton

J. Wright D. Youle J. Magee C. Murdoch

N. McConnell J. Ward A. Johnston M. Ditshup

D. Armour C. Allen

Subs: K. Mc Quillan, M. Whitford, M. Patton.

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Match report (reproduced with permission and thanks) Copyright Lisburn Distillery.net and David Taylor

Match Report from David Taylor

Match Report

The home side were on the back foot from the opening minutes, as the visitors were hungry and eager for the ball, and it was no surprise when then took an early lead when their midfield opened up the home defence and let them score easily. The visitors continued to threaten the home defence and twenty minutes later again opened up the back four for number two. The home side in what was their only move of any significance, in the closing stages of the first half, pulled a goal back, when good play down the right saw a Chris Murdoch cross back-heeled into the visitors goal from close range by Darren Armour.

Undaunted by this, the visitors continued to pose threats to the home defenders and in a ten minute spell in the second half, increased their lead to 4-1 when poor midfield play and worse defending saw them pull away and open up a gap, which the home side never looked like closing. Even though they saw a header from Dean Youle go narrowly wide, and shots from both Matthew Neill and Greg Dixon go past the post, as so often happens when pushing for goals, a quick breakaway saw the fifth goal go in, and an end to the match as a competitive game.

Manager's Comments

A dismal, lack lustre, and awful performance from a team that looked like they were only going through the motions, on a beautiful afternoon, and from the start the visitors always looked like they were going to win the game easily. Poor defending, no midfield play making, and nothing to frighten the visitors defence, as they easily dealt with anything we threw at them, but worst of all no fight, no bottle for the game, and we got what we deserved on the day, a good hammering.

David Taylor

Team

David Wilton

C. Murdoch D. Youle G.McVea M. Whitford

M. Ditshup J. Wright P.Esler G. Dixon

D. Armour M. Patton

Subs: K. Mc Quillan,P. Bonny,M. Neill, N. McLarnon.

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Carnegie Reserve League (M04) - Glentoran Seconds 1 Lisburn Distillery Seconds 1 - Match Report