Killough entertained their near neighbours Ardglass at Strangford in this local derby with local pride and bragging rights at stake. With both teams depleted for various reasons a close encounter was expected but by half-time Killough was 4-0 up and coasting.
Killough opened the scoring on 13 minutes when Declan Looney got through on goal and finished clinically past the helpless keeper in the Ardglass goal.
It was 2-0 a minute later when Looney latched on to a big mistake in the Ardglass back line and crossed for Armstrong to bundle home home at the back post.
It took 20 minutes for Ardglass to create anything worthwhile but Mulhall was high and wide from the edge of the box. Killough continued to dominate play and with Michael Burns finding time and space in centre midfield his influence on the game increased supported by O’Connor, McLaughlin and Looney.
Ardglass were unable to deal with Killough attacking speed, movement or hunger to make a win happen. It was 3-0 on 28 minutes when Sharvin fired to the net following great link-up play.
Ardglass had a good chance to reduce the deficit on 31 minutes but Mulhall fired his shot over the bar when in a good position. Kelly in the Killough nets made a good save from Ardglass number Beattie on 39 minutes and from the rebound headed wide. The momentum was short lived as Killough went up the other end and Looney made it 4-0 with a clinical finish again giving keeper Darren Clarke no chance from close range.
Ardglass were awarded a penalty on the stroke of half-time when Halpin was upended in the box. Peter Kelly, the veteran Killough keeper, guessed right and made a superb save low down to his right from Cusack to leave things 4-0 at the break.
Ardglass’s Christoper Taggart replaced Sean Paul Halpin at the start of the second half and from the start appeared to install more urgency and competitiveness throughout the team with Beattie firing a shot over the bar on 57 minutes.
However any chance of a comeback was over when Killough went 5 up on 61 minutes when Armstrong headed powerfully home from 8 yards from a Clarke freekick just inside the Ardglass half.
From then on Killough steamrollered their visitors with Burns the midfield playmaker running the show. It was 6-0 on 76 minutes when a Armstrong shot was parried by the Ardglass keeper Clarke and McIlhone was on hand to finish off the re-bound.
A minute later Armstrong was on hand to tap in following a defensive mistake to make it 7-0. With Ardglass effectively giving up and in disarray McIlhone made it 8-0 following a clear breakdown in communication to finish to an empty net on 81 minutes.
On a rare visit up field Ardglass number Mulhall hit the post with a great shot which had Kelly well beaten. Killough number Looney finished the scoring on 84 minutes slotting home after some neat team approach work.
Killough were dominant throughout whilst Ardglass fielded an experimental team who lacked a competitive edge, cohesion and experience. Ardglass were served well by Fleming, Ross and Anton O’Shea who did their best at the back while John Beattie, Jamie Cusack and Mark Maguiness battled hard without success. Killough were strong in all departments with the man of the match performance from Michael Burns who had the freedom of the Links all afternoon .
Killough FC: Peter Kelly,Ben McLaughlin, Stephen Laverty, Colm Stranney, Jason Clarke, Michael Burns, Ross Armstrong, Declan Looney, Jack McLaughlin, Freddie O’Connor, Rory Sharvin
Subs: Conor Kelly for Freddie O’Connor , Ryan McIlhone for Rory Sharvin , Martin Murphy for Jack McLaughlin
Ardglass FC: Darren Clarke, Anton O’Shea, Ross O’Shea, Daniel Fleming, Stephen Moore, Martin Halpin, John Beattie, Sean Paul Halpin, Jamie Cusack, Mark Maguiness, Adam Mulhall: Subs: Christopher Teggart for Sean Paul Halpin, Ryan McEvoy for Maguiness
