Border Cup Round One.
Kilmore Rec 2 Portaferry Rovers 4
From the first whistle Portaferry went on the offensive and did not let their hosts settle on the ball and within 20 minutes were 2-0 up writes Cyril McKinney.
First Milligan planted a thumping header past a hesitant Turley in the Kilmore nets and a breakaway goal on 20 minutes when Shields ran clear and set-up Smyth for an easy tap in past the helpless Turley.
Kilmore struggled to come to terms with the Portaferry front three of Trainor, Shields and Smyth whilst Burns was causing panic on the wing every time he got the ball with his direct running. Kilmore were restricted to half-chances as first Stewart was wide of the mark with a left foot volley on 15 minutes and again over the bar on 23 minutes.
Portaferry were quicker to the ball and made their tackles tell and as the half wore on were creating a bit more than Kilmore. Portaferry went further ahead on 29 minutes when a cross field pass from Burns on the left wing found Shields arriving unmarked at the back post and he kept his composure to finish with a right foot volley to make it 3-0 to the visitors at the break.
Kilmore came out on the front foot in the early exchanges of the second half and had a number of chances to reduce the deficit but could not covert until Macklin finished in style from a Looney cross on 72 minutes. On 80 minutes Looney shot over for Kilmore when in a good position and substitute Smyth reduced the deficit even further when he planted a firm header past McNamara at the back post from a Stewart cross on 86 minutes.
Any hope of a grandstand finish was gone a minute later when a through ball found the Portaferry number nine Shields clear and through on to the goal and as Turley advanced Shields calmly finished in style to effectively win the game for the visitors 2-4.
Portaferry were good value for this win and were quicker and sharper in all departments whilst Kilmore will need to improve going forward judging by this performance.
Kilmore Rec: Christopher Turley, Paul McMullan,Tim Collins, Christopher Magee, Ronan Lavery, Conor McStay, Thomas Macklin, Eoin McGrattan, Declan Looney, James Casement, Matthew Stewart. Subs: Joshua Smyth for Tim Collins, John Spratt for James Casement, Shay McGrattan for Eoin McGrattan.
Portaferry Rovers: Brendan McNamara, John Dorrian, Oisin Dorrian, Ruari Watson, Ryan Convery, Brian Fitzsimons, Niall Milligan, Joseph Burns, Morgan Smyth, Calum Shields, Colin Trainor. Subs: Fergal Syms for Ruari Watson, Jamie Donnelly for Joseph Burns , Mark Trainor for Colin Trainor.
