Ballynahinch Olympic exit from Steel&Sons Cup in Round Two
Steel&Sons Cup Round 2,
Venue: Kilmore Playing Fields, Saturday 17th August 2024,
Ballynahinch Olympic 1 2 Sirocco Works.
It was a tough day at the office fo Ballynahinch Olympic as they faced Sirocco Works in the Steel&Sons Round Two at Kilmore Playing Fields.
Sirocco got off to a quick start with a goal from Dylan Smiley after Sirocco made an early challenge. Olympic too were quick to attack and a good save by Chris Carson saved the day for the visitors.
Ballynahinch Olympic broke down the left and Michael McDade found the ball at his feet within striking distance but was immediately swarmed by defenders.
Olympic then won a free kick taken by Nathan Jones who was playing at his usual fast pace throughout the game.
Gradually Sirocco put a strangle hold on the Olympic attacks, and play generally became more physical. Increasingly Olympic threw themselves at the visitors’ penalty area but were held out mostly.
Olympic kept pushing as best they could but most of the time they ran into teh Sirocco wall. Defender Stephen King made a great trow in on the left to the head of Michael McDade at the back post. He headed it cleanly down to the line but keeper Chris Carson read it well.
In a first half good spell by the home side, Nathan Jones harried a defender slow in clearing the ball but again keeper Carson was quick to react blocking Jones’ attempt at goal.
But fortune did not smile on then when Lewis English scored number two for Sorocco in the 37th minute making a comeback for Olympic looking very difficult.
Olympic piled on the pressure and Joel Hunter was taken down as he pressed forward on the edge of the Sirocco box. Nathan Jones stepped up to take the kick and sent off a very solid volley on target but keeper Carson get his hands to it pushing the ball out for a corner.
Sirrocco were certainly pressing for goal 3 but Olympic kept charing forward when they could and a quick break by Ryan Walsh crossing to Stephen Kink almost paid off.
Sirocco keeper Chris Carson got a yellow card for contact just before half time.
As the whistle blew for half-time, Olympic were unlucky not to have netted at least one goal.
At the re-start, Shea Quinn make a useful break and launched a shot but a defender just got his foot to it blocking what could have been an early opener.
Sirocco bounced back and Lewis Lyttle took a shot at the Olympic goals and was just wide of the post.
Just four minutes into the second period and Jones nailed a long ball into the Sirocco area and Olympic squeezed the ball into the left hand post getting them on the score sheet at last. They were fighting for the equaliser now and certainly stepped up their game.
However, play degraded into an off-on affair as the referee had to deal with increased fouls and squabbles and the quality of play suffered.
The game saw 5 yellow cards issued, 2 for Olympic and 3 for Sirroco.
As play goat rougher and yellow cards were distributed, both teams made substitutions to ensure they did not lose a player being sent off.
In the 70th minute Smiley hit a powerful volley but it was well saved by Ryan Walsh.
With just 5 minutes to go it was Sirroco who lifted their game staying in the Olympic half to finally deny the home side a final run at their goal for an equaliser chance and salvaging some points from a match that was both physically tough and emotionally charged.
Ballynahinch Olympic have had a difficult start to their season but they are a side that will soon settle down and play the football they are capable of.
Ballynahinch Olympic: 1 Ryan Walsh, 3 Stephen King, 4 Connor Reid, 5 Jason Noade, 6 Niall Flanaghan, 7 Ryan Walsh, 8 Joel Hunter, 9 Shea Quinn, 10 Nathan Jones, 18 Darren Lyons. Subs: 2 Jack Roddy, 13 Joshua Quinn, 14 Liam Burns, 15 Niall Murray, 17 Caolan Burns.
Sirocco Works: 1 Chris Carson, 2 Chris Cummungs, 3 Lewis Lyttle, 4 Lewis English, 6 James Owens (C) 8 Michael McDade, 9 Dean Moore 11 Jack Glover, 14 Dylan Smiley 19 Jack Fleming 20 Ethan Dawson. Subs: 5 Brandon Morrow, 7 Colin Watters, 12 Ted Hughes, 15 Josh Wilson, 17 Luke Watters.
