Festival match draws large crowd but home team walloped
The Newcastle and District Amateur Football League. League game. Strangford FCÂ 1Â VÂ 6 Celtic Boys.
A huge home crowd came to see their side Strangford play against on-form Celtic Bhoys on a very sunny day during the Strangford Festival at The Links writes Cyril McKinney.
Strangford started well and took the game to the visitors and within the
opening 3 minutes had two efforts wide from distance.
Celtic Boys had their first effort on target on 14 minutes with a snapshot from McMahon,
but the home keeper was equal to it.
Strangford’s Jonathan Henry shot over the bar with a bullet header from a left wing corner and just minutes later was over the bar again from a free from the wide
right.
On 24 minutes Vaughan had a chance to convert a left wing free
but he missed narrowly with Nathan Curran in the Celtic nets routed to
the spot.Â
Approaching half-time on 35 minutes the visitors took the lead when McMahon was on
hand to finish a right wing cross and a rebound from the keeper and volleyed to the net from 6 yards.
Then three minutes later Celtic smelling blood doubled their lead with Louden converting a diagonal cross shot from McCartan from the left wing.
On 40 minutes Strangford’s Daniel Kelly made a great run down the left wing but his dangerous cross evaded everyone and was cleared leaving the half-time score 0-2 to the visitors.
Celtic Boys stretched their lead 8 minutes into the second half when
Shaun Megahey curled in a great right wing cross to the back post and
McMahon evaded his marker and headed home from a couple of yards
out past the helpless keeper McDowell in the home nets.
Three became four on 61 minutes when Jay Gibney rifled one home from the edge of the
box into the top corner. Strangford never gave up to the credit and
cheered on by the home support managed to pull one back on 65 minutes
when substitute Donnan Ritchie converted from close in.
Any hope of a comeback was over when trying to play out from the back Strangford were
caught napping and McMahon nipped in and won the ball and chipped over the keeper
from the edge of the box to make it 1-5.
Again Strangford continued to play football and Shea Savage drilled a great shot at the goal which had Nathan Curran beaten, but the shot rebounded of the base of post to
safety such was Strangford’s luck. And it got worse on 74 minutes when
Sean McMahon playing out of his skin lobbed over the advancing keeper when sent clear by
Michael Rice in midfield.
The final score was 1-6 to the visitors but Strangford did have the better of
the earlier chances. Celtic Bhoys however grew into the game and took their
chances when they got them especially from McMahon with four clinical
finishes up front.
Strangford FC: Ryan McDowell, Stefan McGrattan, Daniel Kelly, Thomas Fitzsimons,
Jonathan Henry, Shane Taggart, Owen Curran, Christian Vaughan, Darren
Black, Callum Shields, Shea Savage. Subs: James Shields, Fionn McFall for Christian Vaughan, Donnan Ritchie for Callum Shields.
Celtic Boys: Nathan Curran, Shaun Megahey, Ruarai Quinn, Ciaran McMenamin, Blaine
Connolly, Michael Rice, Corey McCartan, Peter Casey, Jay Gibney, Sean McMahon, Taylor Loudon. Subs: Sean Cahill, Stephen Galbraith for Peter Casey, Caolain Logue.
