Comber Rec proved too strong for homeside Kilmore Rec
The NAFL,
Premier League, league game,
Venue: Robert Adams 3G Park, Saturday 18th April,
Final Score Kilmore Rec 0 4 Comber Rec.
It was a tough day at the office for Kilmore Rec who gave their all against a strong Comber Rec squad who were determined to pillage the points for the match.
Kilmore are lying at the bottom of the Premier League possibly facing relegation while Coimber Rec had a slow start to the season but picked up momentum but are just lying now mid-table. But Comber did face an upheaval over a month ago when there was a management change but the team appears to be be settled now and playing quite well.
Kilmore made a number of early charges at the Comber goal but were held off by the Comber back line.
Gradually Comber found their feet and started runs forward to the Kilmore goal area. At 10 minutes, Comber top goalscorer James Sofley almost broke through for a goal opportunity.
Comber captain Simon Hanna was working his magic again midfield feeding balls forward and crossing well. A pass to Kris Gaw saw him cross the ball smartly through the front of the Comber goal but there were no takers.
Kilmore attacked again and Fionn Mulhern volleyed on target but the ball richocheted of the legs of a defender for a corner.
Then on 25 minutes, James Sofley scored his first with a pass threaded through to him and he ran forward quickly putting the pall past keeper Blake Henry to the right hand corner low.
Sofley almost scored another goal just minute later. But Kilmore fought back and launched an attack up the right wing. But Comber turned it round and attacked. Under the pressure Kilmore gave away a penalty and Safely claimed his second goal on 29 minutes.
The nippy forward Dylan Donaldson came on replacing defender Lex Walker who must have had a knock. Donaldson went to work harrying the Kilmore defenders.
But Kilmore came back again and caption Conlon under pressure hit the ball but it just went over the top bar, a missed opportunity. Kilmore pressed again enjoying a few runs in the Comber half.
From a throw-in Conlon took a header which came off the top post after a save by keeper Andrew Topping standing in for Corey Pollock who suffered a concussion in the match the previous Saturday against Islandmagee.
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lmore were still determined to score and Joe Healy passed to John Mahoney who sent a chip over to Conor Curran who kicked over the top bar. Never-the-less, Kilmore did try and keep up some pressure.
In one attack, Healy made a creative side-foot flick which almost led to confounding the Comber defenders… but just for a second.
Then in 55 minutes, Mattew Tumilson hit a long ball at an angle low at the Kilmore nets past keeper Henry making a comeback all the more unlikely. This was a crucial turning point in the game.
Again Kilmore fought back and Healy hit a shot at goal but went wide.
Dylan Wilson then rubbed salt into the Kilmore wounds when he scored with a header on 60 minutes. But there were some heavy tackles from both sides and a couple of times discipline did break down making play scrappy.
Play rumbled on and Kris Gaw intervened a pass from John Patterson to Rhys Clarke who looked full of beans and up for a run at the Comber goal.
Dylan Donaldson too upped his play keeping the ball in the Kilmore half pressing the goal with darting runs.
In one attack, Kilmore’s Conor Curran chipped the ball close to the Comber goal but it went over the bar. Then Tomas Murphy blasted a low styrike but it was well held by keeper Topping.
To the end, Kilmore were defiant despite the scoreline. But at the heels of the hunt, it is hard to play against Comber’s top goal scorer with 29 goals so far this season who can make a goal out of a half-chance.
In the last five minutes, Dylan Wilson who had battled his way through the game was red-carded.
It was a tough local derby, with Comber the strongest, but full marks to Kilmore for keeping their heads up when the going was tough.
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Kilmore Rec: 1 Blake Henry (GK) 2 Joshua Smyth 3 Conor Curran 4 Declan McComiskey 5 Joe Healy 6 Tomas Murphy 7 John Patterson 8 Caolan Conlon (C) 9 Fionn Mulhern 10 John Mahoney 11 Harry Smyth. Subs: 12 Charlie McCamley 14 Rhys Clarke 15 James Mahoney.
Comber Rec: 1 Andrew Topping (GK) 2 Matthew Gigson 3 Lex Walker 4 Stuart Moore 5 Reece Whittle 6 Kristopher Gaw 7 Dylan Wilson 8 Simon Hanna (C) 9 James James Sofley 10 Matthew Tumilson 11 Elliot Wilson. Subs: Dylan Donaldson 14 Brandon Nelson 15 Christopher Murray.
