League Leaders Kilmore Rec score five goals against league rivals Dunmurry YM in second half blitz
The NAFL,
First Division League Match,
Venue: Robert Adams Park, Crossgar, on Saturday 23 11 24,
Final Score Kilmore Rec 5 0 Dunmurry YM.
Overall there was little to separate the two sides in the first half, with chances few and far between for especially the visitors, but KIlmore Rec came to life in the second have claiming five goals writes Cyril McKinney.
In the opening ten minutes Owen Kennedy in the Dunmurry goal had to be alert to make two fine saves firstly from Kilmore’s number 8 Caolan Conlon on three minutes and then half-back Declan McComiskey after 10 minutes.
The rest of the first half failed to create anything memorable and it was 0-0 at the break.
When the teams kicked off for the second period, the game came alive on 52 minutes when Kilmore won a free on the right wing. Michael Carvill fizzed in a great cross to the near post and found sub Yaroslav Panfilov who put the home side ahead with an unstoppable bullet header.
Four minutes later on 56 minutes it was 2-0 when Eoin McGrattan scored from close in and then substitute Rhys Clarke scored from a great solo effort on 66 minutes to effectively kill the game.
The visitors rallied gamely but could not get past a rock-solid Kilmore defence with Jack Larkin outstanding and in the middle of the park Michael Carvill pulled the strings along with the hard-working McComiskey who scored the fourth goal with a delightful chip on 88 minutes to round off a great individual performance.
But Rhys Clarke was not finished and he drove in the final coffin nail to Dunmurry with his second goal in the 3rd minute of extra time to leave the final score 5-0.
This was a superb second-half performance from Kilmore which blew the opposition away with the early goal being the incentive they needed to secure the win.
They piled on the pressure between 56 and 66 minutes for a ten minute burst and this broke the back of any Dunmurry YM resistance or even a fight back.
Kilmore Rec are settling well into their new 3G pitch and are upping their game. They are currently league leaders on 30 points having played 13 games winning 10 and losing 3.
Dunmurry YM are second top of the league two games behind KIlmore eyeing up the leadersd, and they have played 11 games, winning 7, drawing 1 and losing 3.
On paper, there is just a couple of points separating the teams but Kilmore Rec managed to raise their game in the second half substantially despite both locking horns in a non-productive first half for both sides.
But the league is still all to play for being half way through for and there are dark horses lurking there still such as the ambitious Willowbank who have just played 6 league games who would relish their rise further through the NAFL ranks to a Premier Division spot if they get half a chance.
But Kilmore Rec is well placed at the moment and would welcome a crack at the Premier lLeague again next season.
Kilmore Rec: Laurence McGonagle, Sean Bell,John Mahoney, Jack Larkin, Joseph Burns, Yaroslav Panfilov, Declan McComiskey, Caolan Conlon, Patrick Grant, Michael Carvill, Philip Doran. Subs: Christopher Magee for Sean Bell , Eoin McGrattan for Patrick Grant, Rhys Clarke for Philip Doran.
Dunmurry YM: Owen Kennedy, Matthew King, Ryan Jackson, Carter Ginniff, Scott Larmour, Travis McFarlane, David English, Denver Taggart, Carl McComb, Thomas Burns, Daniel Burns. Subs: Torin Kerr for David English, Jordan Flanagan for Carter Ginniff, Kurtis Irwin for Daniel Burns.
