Match Report

 

Limavady made the best start, and the home defence had to be on their toes as the visitors were knocking the ball about and created a few openings, which they were unable to convert into goals. But in the twentieth minute the Whites found a purple patch, when Johnston finished a neat move, which was started in midfield, and when the ball came through he stabbed it home from close range. Five minutes later the Whites went two up when Johnston put new boy Brannigan through, and he neatly finished with a low shot into the corner of the net, a cool finish. The same player almost increased the Whites lead when from 25 yards out he struck a beauty, which was dipping in under the crossbar, but the visiting keeper just got a fingertip on it and deflected it over the bar. Again the same player was put through, this time by Willis, and from wide on the right, he cut inside the defender but unfortunately pulled his shot wide. The Whites were now in command of the game, but a minute from the break they shot themselves in the foot, when keeper Dougherty chased a ball outside his box, wide on the left, lost out, and from the resulting cross, Bond was just unable to clear with his head and the forward shot into an empty net.

The second half resumed with the Whites pushing forward and creating some half chances, which went begging, and the visitors relying mainly on breakaways. The game turned when Rosson was sent off after he received his second yellow, and Youle was substituted, to allow West to go into central defence. The visitors then created a few chances, but the home defence and keeper handled anything that they threw at them, and with fifteen minutes left the sides were level on players, when a crude tackle on Kilmartin, saw the visitors midfielder red carded. The Whites then broke away and both Kilmartin and Brannigan should have wrapped the game up, when on numerous occasions they fluffed one on one’s with the keeper, and the Whites came out narrow winners.

 

Managers Comments

Although the score line suggested a close match, we dominated the game for the majority of it, but once again we failed to finish off the opposition, we should have gone in at half-time 3-0 up instead of 2-1. The second half, except for a ten minute spell when we were down to 10 men, was even worse, in regard to missed chances, Brannigan could have finished up with at least three, and Kilmartin was also guilty of missing what could be regarded as a sitter. But it was a pleasing feeling that we are creating good chances, and many off them, now we have to start putting them away, some team is going to suffer shortly. New boy Brannigan looks good, and when his sharpness improves he will be among the goals, he and Johnston linked up well, Kilmartin and Black were dominant in midfield, and except for his rush of blood to the head, Dougherty, and his back four looked solid and impressive.

David Taylor