05/11/2005

Glenarm Rovers 2 - 0 Lisnafillan Swifts

November did not start as planned for Lisnafillan who slumped to their first league defeat of the season on their visit to 3rd Division front runners Glenarm Rovers.

Facing a stiff wind and unrelenting attack from the home team, Lisnafillan were on the back foot from the first kick of the ball. Ryan Kenny, Simon Workman and Richard Young in defence and Roy Calderwood in goal soaked up the pressure well. This solid unit held out superbly to intense pressure so it was a great blow when Richard Young was forced to go off through injury.

The Swifts were forced into a tactical shake up and looked vulnerable until they came to terms with the new system. Glenarm were slick attacking with speed and in numbers but were all too often caught in off-side positions. This seemed to be the pattern for the game until half-time.

Half-time: 0-0

Lisnafillan hoped to take advantage of the weather conditions that had plagued them in the first half only for Sod's law to take effect! On the restart for the second half an eerie calm took over the pitch and it was Glenarm who began to play the football. Time and again their forwards roamed into off-side positions breaking up their own play. At the other end of the pitch their defence was solid and extremely well marshalled by one of the Montgomery brothers.

In the middle of the park Rodney Beggs of the Swifts had an epic battle with Glenarm's Cyril McCosh and as the game continued it was inevitable that a set-piece should end the deadlock. Glenarm won a freekick twenty yards out. The resulting shot was well saved onto the bar by Calderwood but a Glenarm player was quickest to react to the rebound and bundled the ball into the back of the net. A deserving goal for all their pressure. Lisnafillan were restricted to a few pot shots without troubling the Glenarm 'keeper.

The goal to kill off the tie will surely be a contender for Glenarm's "Goal of the Season". A fitting winner for any match, the ball was picked up in midfield and struck from 25yards into the top right hand corner of the net, pinging the bar on the way in. A visibly relieved Glenarm began their celebrations for what was a well fought and deserved victory.

Full-time: 2-0

On a sour note, and with nothing at all to do with Glenarm, a small group of people associated with Inver Athletic who attended the game felt the need to harrass the Lisnafillan players from the sideline. Unfortunately their juvenile behaviour brought a bad atmosphere to what was in all other areas, a very well disciplined game played in the right spirit.