Comber Rec take the honours against Kilmore Rec in Round 3 of the Steel & Sons Cup
ToalsBet.com Steel & Sons Cup,
Round 3,
Robert Adams Park, 9th September 2023,
Kilmore Rec 0 3 Comber Rec.
Robert Adams Park in Crossgar was bathed in hot September sunshine for this Steel & SonsCup 3rd round game between Kilmore and near neighbours Comber.
In the first half both sides showed a lot of endeavour and competitive edge but clearcut chances in the final third were few at either end of the pitch as both defences were tight.
Kilmore keeper Jack Ireland was the busier and was well tested on 15 minutes from a right foot volley from Dylan Wilson from 10 yards and got down well to his left to push the ball away at the expense of a corner.
The visitors had half chances through Grierson on 19 minutes and Conville a minute later but both missed the target when in good positions.
Kilmore were restricted to shooting from long range and Gary Kennedy saw a long range shot saved by Pollock in the Comber nets on 22 minutes.
After the first water break, Conville was found in the box from a great through ball by Wilson but his ball control let him down as Kilmore defence claimed off side on 28 minutes.
Both sides came out in the second half with real intent and challenged for every ball with great vigour.
The referee was a busy man with every decision being challenged on and off the pitch in equal measures.
Kilmore were forced into a change on 55 minutes when defensive lynchpin Jack Larkin
suffered an injury and had to be replaced by Johnny Murray.
Nine minutes later the visitors went in front when Gibson flicked on a high ball into the path of Conville who hit a first time low drive from the left side corner of the box across the keeper and into the corner of the Kilmore net.
1-0 became 2-0 two minutes later as the visitors turned up the heat.
A long diagonal ball from the left wing to the right side of the Kilmore box was headed back across goal by Conville which found an unmarked Nelson who made no mistake from six yards out.
He directed his header into the keeper’s bottom right hand corner of the net.
Despite making changes, Kilmore could not fashion any clearcut chances against a
steadfast Comber rearguard.
Eventually tempers flared on 76 minutes when Kilmore player/manager Michael Carvill was up-ended in midfield and following a melee, the referee booked three players – two from Kilmore and one from Comber.
As the game went into added time the visitors scored a third goal on the counter attack through Pollock who raced clear and finished in style.
Congratulations to Comber who deserved this victory on a very hot punishing day
for a game of football for both sides.
Comber are now through to the last 16 and Round 4 takes place on 30th September.
Kilmore Rec: Jack Ireland, Christopher Magee, Conor Curran, Jack Larkin, Gary
Kennedy, Michael Carvill, John McCarthy, Matthew Hardy, Eoin McGrattan,
Anton McGrattan, Caolan Conlon.
Subs: Jonathan Murray for Jack Larkin, Niall McCarthy for Caolan Conlon,
Niall Walsh , Philip Doran for Conor Curran
Comber Rec: Corey Pollock, Ciaran Gillan, Lex Walker, Stuart Moore, Reece Whittle,
Kristopher Gaw, Dylan Wilson, Harry Grierson, Brett Conville, Matthew
Gibson, Brandon Nelson.
Subs: Ben McMorris, Sam Moore, Andrew Laird for Stuart Moore, Elliot
Wilson for Matthew Gibson.
