Ardglass Face Stiff Orangefield Opposition

NAFL Divsion 1b Ardglass 2  Orangefield  2 With only five minutes into the league game, Orangefield’s Chris Hanvey had an opportunity not far from the front of the Ardglass goal but keeper Armstrong squashed his hopes. Orangefield were doing most of the early attacking but it was not long before Ardglass woke up and it was game on. An attack in the 8th minute by Chris Teggart and Richard Kerr could have brought a goal and minutes later Ardglass winger Mark Feenan was almost past the Orangefield keeper with the ball but was blocked. But on the 10th minute, Orangefield’s Brian Reynold’s scored through a packed Ardglass box giving Armstrong no chance. [caption id="attachment_23284" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Chris Teggart makes an early attack on the Orangefield goal."][/caption] The visitors initially looked well disciplined and organised, but the game became a little more desparate as time passed and the wind picked to being very gusty making the many high balls a 50:50 affair. Mark Feenan had warmed up and was making attacks down the wing and on one ocassion received a peach of a through ball from midfielder Gareth Telford and Feenan’s shot was smothered by Orangfield keeper James Burlington. Ardglass were applying themselves steadily to pull back a goal and Feenan in an attack earned a foul just outside the Orangfield box. Ian Kearney stepped up to the ball and took the shot but it defelected for a corner. On the 21st minute Richard Kerr broke through the Orangefield defence and entered the box and scored with a well taken shot comfortably into the back of the net. Minutes later, Chris Teggart was unlucky not to add a second goal from a through pass from midfield, but Ardglass hopes were bouyant and they were battling all the way. And it would have been a poetic justice if Stephen Deegan’s shot had  gone in under the post instead of flying over in another brave effort. Telford was certainly an asset for Ardglass as his play set up a number of attacks which Feenan and Teggart  fed into. [caption id="attachment_23286" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Recent signing for Ardglass Ian Kearney in action against Orangefield."][/caption] The second half was a bit scrappier and more physical than the first mainly as a result of the diffiult cross wind. In the 6th minute Orangfield pulled back another goal as Kyle Cunningham sent the ball past the Ardglass defenders. Within 10 minutes of the second half, Ardglass were looking more confident as the imposing figure of Ian Kearney had moved to the front line. In a great effort, Stephen Rooney who came on as central back defender had come up front and just missed a glancing header into goal from a throw in. After Kerr was felled near the back  of the Orangfield box, Kearney took a shot at the Orangefield posts and levelled the score.  Ardglass had done just about enough to keep their hopes alive in getting to the top of their division. Ardglass FC: Chris Armstrong, Ryan Curran, Liam Mullan, Ian Kearney, Chris Telford, Gareth Telford,  Stephen Deegan, Ciaran Dorian, Chris Teggart, Richard Kerr, Mark Feenan.  Subs: Daniel Fleming, Lee McEvoy, Stephen Rooney. Orangefield : James Burlington, Ryan McNaul, John Gelson, Sam McNaul, David Wilson, Kyle Cunningham, Brian Reynolds, William Ritchie, Nathan O’neill, David Tittensore, Chris Hanvey.  Subs: Andy McCartney, Paul Patterson, Dean Henderson. [caption id="attachment_23287" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Stephen Deegan with his eye on the ball for Ardglass."][/caption] ]]>