Killyleagh YC 2 Kilmore Rec 1
THE Walsh brothers struck at the double to give Killyleagh victory in this Amateur League Premier Section derby.
Two setpiece goals from Barry and Niall completed a remarkable second half turnaround to ensure Dee Heron’s team upset the odds with victory.
It was a game that provided full value for money for the big Showgrounds crowd, with a missed penalty, a sending off and plenty of goalmouth action.
There was an explosive start to the game with Kilmore awarded a penalty in the first minute. Philip Traynor was sent tumbling by YC keeper Michael McKenna in the penalty area. Referee Michael McLaughlin pointed immediately to the spot but ruled that Traynor would not have got the ball so let McKenna off with a yellow card.
[caption id="attachment_30556" align="alignleft" width="400" caption="Killyleagh's Barry Walsh takes a brilliant free kick into the Kilmore net."]
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Up stepped Liam Graham to take the resultant spot kick low to the right but he was denied by a fine McKenna save.
The YC keeper was in action soon afterwards, doing well to save after Blaine Connolly’s powerful free was deflected.
It was Kilmore who totally overpowered Killyleagh in the opening half, with Rogan and Kilmartin pulling the strings in midfield as they dominated possession and Graham proving a real handful in attack. Mannus was having a Trojan game in the Killyleagh midfield, with Hugh Dickson showing all his experience to rebuff wave after wave of attacks.
It was no surprise when Kilmore did take the lead after 22 minutes. Connolly’s throw was gratefully picked up by Graham and he showed superb ability to turn his marker and slam in a beauty. Eight minutes later he almost made it 2-0 with McKenna producing a fine save after Graham had cracked open the Killyleagh defensive trap.
Dale Davidson had given Killyleagh some hope with a probing run but his left wing cross failed to get past the first Kilmore defender, Mark Holland. Killyleagh’s best chance of the half fell to Gary Murdoch just past the half hour mark when he was left with a lot of space in the area but blazed over.
For all their dominance, Kilmore were almost made to pay in the 40th minute. Hugh Ross picked out Davidson and his cross come shot thumped the upright with Curran seemingly beaten. But the half ended as it had been for most of the 45 minutes with Traynor feeding Kilmore’s best player Graham only for the lively striker to be denied by a crunching tackle from Ross that denied a certain goal.
[caption id="attachment_30558" align="alignright" width="317" caption="Kilmore's Karl Lewis in a clash with Killyleagh defender Hugh Ross."]
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Kilmore started brightly in the opening stages of the second half and Conor Walsh was just over with a header from Kilmartin’s corner.
But then came the Killyleagh turnaround. Gary Morrison fed Davidson only for Philip Gill to make an important block in the 50th minute. From Niall Walsh’s corner Ross went close. There then followed Killyleagh penalty appeals.
Kilmore’s Peter Kelly pulled back James Wilson on the edge of the area in the 52nd minute and from the free kick that followed, YC captain Barry Walsh flighted the cleverest of free kicks into the corner of the net to give Curran no chance and level the scores.
Remarkably it was Killyleagh, powered by Mannus in a makeshift role and with sweeper James Wilson playing as a striker, who now threatened every time they got into the box. Curran produced a good save to deny Davidson, then the Kilmore crossbar was rattled before Dickson was left wondering how he headed wide a pinpoint Niall Walsh cross.
It was Killyleagh who had the next chance of the game, Wilson passing to Murdoch who fired off a fine snap shot. Then came the save of the game from Curran to deny Davidson on the hour mark.
At the opposite end McKenna pulled off a save that was just as important as he somehow got his feet to sub Stephen Galbraith’s effort in the 63rd minute. It was virtually Galbraith’s first touch after his introduction.
The game was getting more stretched and Morrison hit the Kilmore sidenetting after good work from Niall Walsh, while McKenna denied Traynor after clever work from Karl Lewis. Next up it was Curran’s turn to save from Morrison.
It was Killyleagh who made the breakthrough with what proved to be the winner in the 79th minute, Niall Walsh scoring straight from a corner, his cross evading everyone and hitting the top corner of the net at the back post.
There were two other major goalmouth incidents before the end with Mannus feeding Morrison who blazed over and then sub Peter Telford went close with just four minutes remaining.
If there was an explosive start to the game, then there was a just as remarkable an end to it with Killyleagh sub Gavin Murray given a straight red card within seconds of coming on. In the 92nd minute Morrison was injured in an accidental collision with the Kilmore keeper. Holland sportingly kicked the ball out so he could get treatment. When play resumed, Murray threw the ball over the bye-line and then reacted to a taunt from a Kilmore fan, erning him a straight red from referee McLaughlin for ungentlemanly conduct.
Ten-man Killyleagh only had another 60 seconds to play out to earn their first win in league or cup against Kilmore since the Crossgar men returned to the top flight in 2010.
Killyleagh: M McKenna, J Kennedy, H Ross, G Murdoch, H Dickson, I Mannus, J Wilson, D Davidson, G Morrison, B Walsh, N Walsh. Subs: G Murray, B Strain, G Walsh.
Kilmore: N Curran, P Gill, B Connolly, M Holland, P Kelly, A Kilmartin, K Lewis, S Rogan, L Graham, P Traynor, C Walsh. Subs: S Galbraith, P Telford, L McGonagle
* The match was sponsored by Norman Aiken of Mace Supermarket, Killinchy.
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Up stepped Liam Graham to take the resultant spot kick low to the right but he was denied by a fine McKenna save.
The YC keeper was in action soon afterwards, doing well to save after Blaine Connolly’s powerful free was deflected.
It was Kilmore who totally overpowered Killyleagh in the opening half, with Rogan and Kilmartin pulling the strings in midfield as they dominated possession and Graham proving a real handful in attack. Mannus was having a Trojan game in the Killyleagh midfield, with Hugh Dickson showing all his experience to rebuff wave after wave of attacks.
It was no surprise when Kilmore did take the lead after 22 minutes. Connolly’s throw was gratefully picked up by Graham and he showed superb ability to turn his marker and slam in a beauty. Eight minutes later he almost made it 2-0 with McKenna producing a fine save after Graham had cracked open the Killyleagh defensive trap.
Dale Davidson had given Killyleagh some hope with a probing run but his left wing cross failed to get past the first Kilmore defender, Mark Holland. Killyleagh’s best chance of the half fell to Gary Murdoch just past the half hour mark when he was left with a lot of space in the area but blazed over.
For all their dominance, Kilmore were almost made to pay in the 40th minute. Hugh Ross picked out Davidson and his cross come shot thumped the upright with Curran seemingly beaten. But the half ended as it had been for most of the 45 minutes with Traynor feeding Kilmore’s best player Graham only for the lively striker to be denied by a crunching tackle from Ross that denied a certain goal.
[caption id="attachment_30558" align="alignright" width="317" caption="Kilmore's Karl Lewis in a clash with Killyleagh defender Hugh Ross."][/caption]
Kilmore started brightly in the opening stages of the second half and Conor Walsh was just over with a header from Kilmartin’s corner.
But then came the Killyleagh turnaround. Gary Morrison fed Davidson only for Philip Gill to make an important block in the 50th minute. From Niall Walsh’s corner Ross went close. There then followed Killyleagh penalty appeals.
Kilmore’s Peter Kelly pulled back James Wilson on the edge of the area in the 52nd minute and from the free kick that followed, YC captain Barry Walsh flighted the cleverest of free kicks into the corner of the net to give Curran no chance and level the scores.
Remarkably it was Killyleagh, powered by Mannus in a makeshift role and with sweeper James Wilson playing as a striker, who now threatened every time they got into the box. Curran produced a good save to deny Davidson, then the Kilmore crossbar was rattled before Dickson was left wondering how he headed wide a pinpoint Niall Walsh cross.
It was Killyleagh who had the next chance of the game, Wilson passing to Murdoch who fired off a fine snap shot. Then came the save of the game from Curran to deny Davidson on the hour mark.
At the opposite end McKenna pulled off a save that was just as important as he somehow got his feet to sub Stephen Galbraith’s effort in the 63rd minute. It was virtually Galbraith’s first touch after his introduction.
The game was getting more stretched and Morrison hit the Kilmore sidenetting after good work from Niall Walsh, while McKenna denied Traynor after clever work from Karl Lewis. Next up it was Curran’s turn to save from Morrison.
It was Killyleagh who made the breakthrough with what proved to be the winner in the 79th minute, Niall Walsh scoring straight from a corner, his cross evading everyone and hitting the top corner of the net at the back post.
There were two other major goalmouth incidents before the end with Mannus feeding Morrison who blazed over and then sub Peter Telford went close with just four minutes remaining.
If there was an explosive start to the game, then there was a just as remarkable an end to it with Killyleagh sub Gavin Murray given a straight red card within seconds of coming on. In the 92nd minute Morrison was injured in an accidental collision with the Kilmore keeper. Holland sportingly kicked the ball out so he could get treatment. When play resumed, Murray threw the ball over the bye-line and then reacted to a taunt from a Kilmore fan, erning him a straight red from referee McLaughlin for ungentlemanly conduct.
Ten-man Killyleagh only had another 60 seconds to play out to earn their first win in league or cup against Kilmore since the Crossgar men returned to the top flight in 2010.
Killyleagh: M McKenna, J Kennedy, H Ross, G Murdoch, H Dickson, I Mannus, J Wilson, D Davidson, G Morrison, B Walsh, N Walsh. Subs: G Murray, B Strain, G Walsh.
Kilmore: N Curran, P Gill, B Connolly, M Holland, P Kelly, A Kilmartin, K Lewis, S Rogan, L Graham, P Traynor, C Walsh. Subs: S Galbraith, P Telford, L McGonagle
* The match was sponsored by Norman Aiken of Mace Supermarket, Killinchy.
