Ballynagross beaten on close Junior Shield round 3 match with Castlewellan
Toals Junior Shield Round 3,
Mountain Quarter, Saturday 3rd December 2022.
Ballynagross 0 1 Castlewellan Town.
Castlewellan Town travelled the short distance to Mountain Quarter for this junior Shield clash and left victorious after a hard fought battle that did not let up for the full 90 minutes (writes Cyril McKinney).
Both sides started well but it was the visitors who threatened in the opening 15 minutes without really testing Arnold in the home nets.
Gradually Ballynagross warmed to the occasion and on 17 minutes Conor McCarron was wide of the mark from just inside of the box with the keeper rooted to the spot.
One minute later after a great right wing cross from Doran caused havoc in the Castlewellan defence three different attempts on goal were blocked by great last ditch defending and Ballynagross could not find the back of the net despite their best efforts.
Castlewellan keeper Burns had to be alert on 25 minutes to save a low shot from Doran while at the other end Cathail Arnold in the home nets had to react smartly to a pile driver from outside the box from Karol Jarosinski on 34 minutes.
Eoin Travers tested Arnold again but his shot clipped the top of the crossbar and then Arnold made a decent save from Clarke as the striker cut in from the left wing on just before half-time leaving the score all square at the break.
Castlewellan started the second half on the front foot and within a minute of the restart Arnold had to react to a snapshot from Eoin Travers on the turn.
On 52 minutes Ballynagross probably had their best chance of the whole match to score.
Doran robbed the ball from a hesitant Castlewellan defender and went through to a one-on-one with keeper Burns and as the keeper advanced Doran rolled his shot the wrong side of the keeper’s left hand post with the goal at his mercy.
Ballynagross were made to pay for their miss on 60 minutes when Castlewellan winger Callum McKibben kept his nerve to volley home a rebound from keeper Arnold who had made two great blocks but could do nothing about the third attempt.
Ballynagross were by no means finished but try as they might they could not find a way past the Castlewellan rearguard of Barry Travers, Colm Flanagan and Shane McCann who played well all afternoon.
Ballynagross had sound performances from Campbell and Laverty in the middle of defence and Conor McCarron never gave up all afternoon. Overall an entertaining game between two committed sides.
Ballynagross FC: Cathaill Arnold, Connor Marron, John Shields, Conor Campbell, Christopher Laverty, Cormac Byrne, Joseph Burns, Shea McComiskey ,Philip Doran, Conor McCarron, Jack Fitzsimmons, Subs: Corey Davis, Ciaran Evans for Philip Doran, Declan Dowie for Jack Fitzsimmons
Castlewellan Town: Rory Burns, Barry Travers, Colm Flanagan, Adam Garland, Shane McCann, Conall Corrigan, Callum McKibben, Jason Croskery, Rhys Clarke, Karol Jarosinski, Eoin Travers. Subs: Cormac Barr for Callum McKibben, Ciaran Stratton for Barry Travers, Joseph O’Neill for Eoin Travers.
