Newcastle League starts new soccer season
The Newcastle and District Amateur Football League.
League Match.
Killough FC 3 0 Newcastle Swifts
Killough entertained Newcastle in this first match of the season at The Mill pitch and the home side came away victorious without really being tested by the visitors writes Cyril McKinney.
Right from the first whistle Killough were in the ascendency closing down the opposition, sharper to the ball and some great interplay all over the park.
Conor Doyle in the home nets had a quiet day at the office and in the first half had only one tame shot to gather after 40 minutes.
Despite having all the play in the first half, Killough lacked a cutting edge in the final third but took the lead through Matt McKiernan who volleyed in from just inside the box out right from a left wing cross after 8 minutes.
With Kian Tierney and Tony McIlhone pulling the strings in the middle of the park, Killough continued to press forward and with both wingmen Gerard McAuley on the left and Declan Looney on the right delivering some great service for the hard working Daniel Taggart up front the Newcastle rearguard were under pressure and it was a mix of last ditch defending and good fortune that the halftime scoreline remained at 1-0 .
It was more of the same in the second half with Newcastle offering little upfront but showed some good football in patches in the middle of the park but it was never going to be their day when not once but twice defenders scored two own goals to make the scoreline flattering to Killough.
On 67 minutes McAuley beat his man on the right wing and fizzed a great ball across the front of goal and the unfortunate Morrison hit the back of the net instead of volleying wide.
Then on 77 minutes Harbinson headed into his own net when put under pressure from Looney to complete the misery for the visitors. Killough had a fourth goal from Tony McIlhone disallowed for an infringement inside the box on 82 minutes by which time Killough were in cruise control.
Killough had good performances all over the park including McKiernan, Groves and Black at the back who snuffed out any Newcastle threat, Newcastle showed good passages of play in the middle of the park and defended resolutely but offered little up front.
Killough FC: Conor Doyle, Gareth George, Conor Black, Kevin Groves, Matt McKiernan, Ruairi Sharvin, Declan Looney, Tony McIlhone, Daniel Taggart, Kian Tierney, Gerard McAuley. Subs: Martin Murphy for Gareth George, Ryan McIlhone for Kian Tierney, Tiernan Quinn for Ruairi Sharvin,
Newcastle Swifts: Jack McLoughlin, Mark Harbinson, Mark Young, Christopher Rice, James Maginn, Connor Morrison, Peter O’Hare, Darragh Rooney, Richard McAlarney, Jonathan Boyle. Sub: Donal Acton.
