NAFL
League Division One A.
Saturday 6th October 2018.
Report by Chris Hagan.
St Patrick’s YM 2 Killyleagh YC 3.
NIALL Walsh was the unlikely goalscoring hero for Killyleagh with a late winner against bottom side St Patrick’s at the Larne venue on Saturday.Just when it looked as if Paul Sharvin’s out of sorts YC would have to settle for a point, Walsh struck in the 83rd minute to secure victory.
Killyleagh struggled against the north Belfast side in this Division 1A encounter and manager Sharvin who was already without a host of players including Darren McConnell, Keegan Rice and Lee Morrison, has been left with more injury headaches ahead of this weekend’s clash with Kilmore Rec, with Jack Sharvin coming off the bench only to aggravate a hamstring injury.
Killyleagh failed to impress against the bottom side in the division and just as at The Showgrounds a fortnight ago against the same team. They were stunned as early as the sixth minute when Daniel Moore scored a thunderbolt from 25 yards out,leaving YC keeper Aaron Carberry with no chance.
The visitors though didn’t have long to wait for a response and Robert Hagan scored the equaliser after finding space in the box in the 23rd minute.
The much improved St Patrick’s team battled throughout and indeed their league position is perhaps a false one for their young team.
After the break Killyleagh came out with the bit between their teeth and it was Adam Neale with a deft finish who put them into the lead in the 54th minute. The game ebbed and flowed after this, and St Pats pulled level when Conall McKeown netted.
Both teams pushed and pushed for a winner, with strong penalty appeals turned away from both sets of players. The game was tightly matched until Gavin Murray won a header which fell to cousin Niall Walsh in the 83rd minute. He made no mistake to make it 3-2.
