Drumaness Mills Take East Belfast Scalp in Border R1 Clash
The NAFL,
Border Cup Round One,
Meadowvale, Saturday 24th August 2024,
Drumaness Mills 2 2 East Belfast ( Drumaness won 4-2 on penalties).
It was a superb win for Drumaness Miils at Meadowvale as the last season NAFL league one champions East Belfast visited looking to secure their next stage in the Border Cup qualifiers writes Jim Masson
East Belfast certainly came to conquer and they played aggressive attacking football throughout providing a real challenge for the home side.
With Jack Sharvin taking over the role of captain for the day from Gary Murdock who was not available, Drumaness battled from the start and looked a very settled side against a formidable opposition. They were connecting well despite playing this pressure match so early in the season.
In just 3 minutes Peter Brannigan made a neat pass to Adam Kearney whose shot was blocked by East Belfast keeper Matthew McClurg. Then East Belfast retaliated with a strong attack and Drumaness defender Sean Paul Holland made a timely intervention.
Dean Annett started to show up repeatedly around the Drumaness goal area and was a constant danger, Reid already having saved once volley from him.
CHECK ACTION PHOTOS ON DOWN NEWS PAGE
The game settled into a fairly brisk pace with both teams pressing as much as they could.
Sharvin picked the ball up half-way and broke forward shooting at the East Belfast goal but his shot was held.
The pattern of play seemed to see both teams moving up and down the pitch with East Belfast getting more than the fair share of corners as they exerted pressure.
Sharvin was initially playing in the front line and the visitors were playing the offside trap well making it difficult for him to get forward to striking distance of goal.
Eventually Sharvin knocked the ball into the East Belfast net at close quarters in the 10th minute and the game went up another gear from then on.
Drumaness appeared more confident on the front foot and Peter Brannigan was playing his part behind the front line of Declan Looney, Sharvin and Kearney. At this stage Stephen Kennedy seemed more placed in midfield.
CHECK ACTION PHOTOS ON DOWN NEWS PAGE
Luke Adair pushed Andrew Watson and Drumaness were awarded a free kick about 30 yards from the East Belfast goal. Sharvin took the shot but it went just over the bar.
Then Drumaness pushed hard for a second goal and eventually East Belfast broke free and in the attack a Kyle Woods shot ricochetted off the Drumaness top bar.
Again East Belfast attacked and a volley by Dale McCreery was well held by keeper Mark Reid. Following this with more pressure from the visitors Damien Turley made a crucial goalmouth clearance for Drumaness.
Then just before the whistle for half-time, East Belfast struck and Number 9 Dean Annett fired the ball into the Drumaness Mills goals past Reid to equalise.
The second period started again at a fast pace with both Kearney and Sharvin getting chances to score. Then Stevie Kennedy started to play more in a forward position and burst through the back defensive wall almost scoring.
Drumaness had a run of corners and it seemed they were getting an upper hand. But as the physical game trundled on Annett found space on a break and again posed a threat to the Drumness goal. It was a game hanging in the balance.
Kennedy came more into the game with fast breaks trying to get past the offiside trap and Sharvin had slip back behind him often feeding balls through.
And again East Belfast hit the Drumaness woodwork when on 58 minutes a shot from Annett bounced off the right hand post.
Then finally the connection between Sharvin and Kennedy paid off. Sharvin sent a long ball up through the middle of the field to Kennedy who broke quickly and was running at pace before the two defenders could turn. He rattled on and rounded keeper McClurk to knock the ball in to put Drumaness in the lead at 2-1 on 67 minutes.
Drumaness went up a gear and Kennedy left footed a shot just wide of the goal and Kearney too missed a shot narrowly.
However, they were punished in the 70th minute when Annett again scored, equalising this tine from a close-in tap into the Drumaness net.
The visitors almost scored again when Taylor Evans unleashed a volley that was just wide.
Then as the game was hurtling towards its final stages, Lewis Casement seemed to catch a defender’s elbow in the box and suffered a concussion being stretchered off the pitch.
In the extra-time, Sharvin did have a couple of solid shots at the East Belfast goal which were blocked by keeper McClurk. And Annett was still a clear and present danger for Drumaness as he just kept on coming at the goal area.
But after a few stoppages for substitutions and injuries, the final whistle blew with the match hung at 2-2 and the teams chose their five strikers for the penalty klcks.
CHECK ACTION PHOTOS ON DOWN NEWS PAGE
The dramatic penalty shoot out saw Jack Sharvin, Owen Wright, Declan Looney and Andrew Watson net their efforts and Drumaness keeper Mark Reid made two brilliant saves blocking strikes by Taylor Evans and Luke Adair putting Drumaness through 2-4 on penalties.
This was a major scalp for the Mills team and shows they are now finding their feet after a slightly bumpy early season start. Their confidence now will have benefitted greatly.
The 2024-25 season awaits Drumaness Mills.
Drumaness Mills: 1 Mark Reid (GK) 2 Keegan Domican 3 Sean Paul Holland 4 Damien Turley 7 Stephen Kennedy 8 Andrew Watson 9 Declan Looney 10 Jack Sharvin (C) 11 Adam Kearney 17 Peter Brannigan, 18 Conor McGourty. Subs: 12 Lewis Casement, 14 Adam Mooney, 15 Owen Wright.
East Belfast: 1 Matthew McClurk (GK), 2 Brandon Bradshaw 3 Taylor Evans 4 Ross McCaughan (C) 5 Dale McCreery 6 Rhys Kelly 7 Conall Cunningham, 8 Luke Adair, 9 Dean Annett, 10 Kyle Woods 11 Neil Ballentine. Subs: 12 Joe McWilliams, Brandon Lindsay 15 Cole Killips.
.){kind=link}