Killyleagh YC falter in local derby against Drumaness Mills.
This local derby match was always going to be hotly contested with Killyleagh YC facing relegation from the Premier League and Drumaness Mills trying to keep out of the relegation danger zone.
A gutsy hat-trick from Callum Dougan playing on form for Drumaness, however, decided the outcome of the match.
Killyleagh made an early effort in this bottom of the Premier League clash when Sam Carson made a useful pass to Peter Russell but Drumaness bounced back with an attack and Owen Wright was just over the bar with a solid volley.
Drumaness showed their teeth in a few attacks then Rory Mason crossed to James McGivern who turned and made an on-target snapshot but it was well read by keeper Aaron Carberry.
On 10 minutes Cameron Howard picked up a yellow card, the first of several through the match.
The visitors were certainly showing they wanted the points on the day and after another goal effort by Killyleagh’s Cameron Howard who was levelled outside the box saw the free kick by captain Keegan Rice just go over the top bar.
Killyleagh came back into attack mode and the game went up a couple of gears with both defences well tested by probing forwards. For a spell, Declan McComiskey had a good run for Killyleagh with a few sharp attacks and penetrating passes.
Then Killyleagh produced their best chance yet when Gary Morrison broke into the box flanked by two defenders and got his shot off but it was held by keeper Marc Reid.
Drumaness forward Rory Mason then tested Carberry with a shot after a brief outburst on the pitch when tempers spilled over.
Rice pushed forward through the middle and Kieran Sullivan found space for a low shot through a forest of legs at the left hand side of the Drumaness goal but the ball was well held by keeper Reid.
The match see-sawed up and down the pitch and then it was the visitors turn to test Carberry once more. This was a match when both sides looked evenly poised at this stage, a goal looking inevitable.
At 35 minutes there were calls for a penalty in the Drumaness box but referee Matthew Goodricke, who managed the highly charged game well, waved play on.
As the game hurtled towards half-time, Drumaness had an excellent opportunity when a long pass into the Killyleagh goal area saw Gary Murdock (captain) almost open the scoring with the best opportunity yet for the visitors.
Killyleagh were pressing as the whistle blew for half-time in this hotly contested local derby.
A strong wind made play difficult and this was for a spell made worse by showers of heavy rain, but it died away, leaving the path clear for the battle to continue.
Drumaness midfielder McComiskey made a great pass to Michael Burns but keeper Carberry got the shot under control.
Then as the visitors tightened the thumbscrews, Howard crossed to the head of Eoin Lundy who just nodded the ball a fraction over the bar on five minutes in. It was a match of several near misses on both sides.
Drumaness were taking the initiative and Burns launched a volley forcing Carberry to make a fingertip save for a corner.
Then after a spell of sustained pressure on the home side, Killyleagh broke forward and Howard managed to pop the ball into the middle of the Drumaness net to the jubilation of his team-mates at 53 minutes.
But the advantage was short lived as Callum Dougan equalised five minutes later tapping the ball in.
Killyleagh tried to up their game and moved into the visitors’ half and Morrison was fouled. The free by Rice was inches wide of the right hand post. But Drumaness clawed their way back quickly and a piledriver by Mason on target was expertly saved by Carberry giving away a corner with the home side under pressure again. At 25 minutes into the second half, Drumaness defender Thomas McConville took a terrific low header from the corner kick rocketing the ball into the back of the Killyleagh net.
Killyleagh made an attempt to pull back with an equaliser when Rice battled through Drumaness defenders and crossed to Carson for his attempt at goal just wide. This effort was followed by a shot by McComiskey but Reid got the ball under control.
The visitors pressed back once more and Rooney tried a low shot but Carberry read it well.
The game got a bit unsettled as both teams became very physical and a number of yellow cards were dished out. Tensions were high.
But slowly Drumaness managed to get the upper hand over Killyleagh in the latter part of the match bolstered up by their second goal.
Carson had another chance for Killyleagh to take a free from a foul and fired over the wall of defenders. He hit the ball well but it just didn’t dip enough and flew over the top bar.
Dougan had a close shave when he hit the post in a Drumaness attack then minutes later Lundy put the ball through to Dougan and his shot beat Carberry putting the visitors two goals ahead.
To rub salt into the Killyleagh wounds, Dougan scored again putting the game beyond Killyleagh.
Frustrations came to the surface again and a couple more yellow cards were issued.
Overall this was a convincing win for Drumaness Mills keeping them off the possibility of relegation. Killyleagh YC have a number of new players in their first team now and it will take a few more weeks for the team to gel under the stewardship of new manager Stephen Lindsay.
Killyleagh YC: Aaron Carberry, Fintan Walsh, Ryan Blaney, Kieran Sullivan, Jonathan Cheevers, Keegan Rice (C), Declan McComiskey, Sam Carson, Gary Morrison, Peter Russell, Cameron Howard. Subs: Nathan Hamilton, Naseem, Ouldhamlat, Michael Burns.
Drumaness Mills: Marc Reid, Benjamin Cambell, Eoin Lundy, Thomas McConville, Gary Murdock (C), Adam Kearney, Daniel Bell, Callum Dougan, James McGivern, Rory Mason, Owen Wright. Subs: Conor Dornan, Conor Carew, Eoin Rooney.
