10/12/2005

Templepatrick 0 - 1 Lisnafillan Swifts

With Templepatrick having been relegated last season and being hotly tipped to bounce straight back to the second, this was always going to be a tough encounter. The Antrim side have not shown their potential yet as they currently lie just outside the play-off promotion spots, but with a couple of games in hand they can still rectify the matter.

Having never met in competition before you would have expected both teams to start tentatively. However, Trevor McAleese found himself in space early on. He broke down the wing with only one defender to beat but was cynically hacked down 30yards from goal. This was the first of quite a few meaty tackles in a physical match which simmered up without ever boiling over. Both teams suffered casualties with Swifts' Jay Russell being forced to retire from the game early, after a late tackle towards the end of the first half.

The football was competitive but not flowing. Both teams battled hard to keep possession with the Swifts working towards the wings. Templepatrick played more direct football towards their forwards but Ryan Kenny was commanding in the air for the visitors, restricting the Antrim side to limited shooting opportunities outside the 18yard box, which, if on target, never troubled Roy Calderwood in nets. Lisnafillan etched out only a couple more dangerous chances in the first half, most notably when Rodney Beggs fired a low powerful shot across the TFC goal, eluding everyone, and going narrowly wide of the far post.

Half-time: 0-0

The second half was much like the first. midfield was congested and compact while both defences were marshalled well. Greg Marrs battled well in the middle of the park and began to find his passing range, picking out McAleese and Murry as the Swifts exerted more pressure. Beggs too began to venture forward and was extremely unlucky to hit the post with a venomous effort from outside the box which had the 'keeper beaten. Again the play got bogged down in midfield as the game seemed to be deadlocked.

It was inevitable that a set-piece would be decisive in the tie. Ryan Kenny was unfortunate to have his powerfully directed header cleared off the line after a well taken corner from McAleese and it looked as though the Swifts' luck was out when Chris McQuoid had a goal disallowed soon after. He snuck in behind the defence to latch onto an angled free-kick inside the box. He placed his shot past the stranded goalkeeper but unfortunately was adjudged to have been in an offside position.

Simon Murry kept Lisnafillan pushing forward and drew a superb save from Templepatrick's 'keeper. Murry controlled the ball on his chest 25yards from goal and turned quickly to beat his marker. He unleashed an early shot hoping to find the goalkeeper out of position but amazingly the 'keeper scrambled across his goalmouth to palm the ball onto the post at full stretch.

Templepatrick persisted with their direct play but could not penetrate the defensive partnership of Ryan Kenny and Richard Young who performed extremely well considering he is still carrying a persistent injury.

The home team continued to give away free-kicks in silly positions and lived to regret it when Simon Murry teed one up 25yards from goal. Unsighted by the wall, the Templepatrick 'keeper was slightly too far off his line to deal with the well fighted delivery of Murry's shot. The ball sailed over the outstretched keeper and just under the crossbar to win the game for Lisnafillan. An important victory in the league as both Glenarm and Blackstone picked up maximum points from their games this weekend.

Full-time: 0-1