Pretenders torn apart

Pretenders torn apart

15 October 2014

CASTLEWELLAN’S artful dodgers twisted the knife when it counted to send the Premier Division leaders spiralling to their first league defeat of the season at a positively balmy Killyleagh on Saturday.
It all looked so promising for Ballynagross as they held a 2-1 lead going into the last 15 minutes, but, down to 10 men since the 35th minute, they wilted in the sun and Aidy Burns stabbed them in the heart with two lethal finishes to give Castlewellan all three points.
This away win only confirmed what we all knew as the Town, who were missing seven players, proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that they are still the team to beat and they remain on course for an unprecedented five in a row.
Ballynagross took the game to Castlewellan in the opening exchanges and with five minutes gone Mark Taggart robbed Donal McKibben out on the right wing and fired a low ball across the box, but there was nobody at home.
Ballynagross were then caught on the break when Aidy Burns played a delightful ball out wide left to Stevie Trainor. He calmly planted it into the path of Danny Morgan and he did the rest with an accomplished finish.
The game was developing into a tough, uncompromising battle, but that only played into the hands of the truculent Ritchie Fryer, who could start a row in an empty room, such is desire to win,
Fryer stalked Nial Toner, Conal Burns and Sean Russell at every turn and if the ball went anywhere near them, the Ballynagross bulldog was snarling at their ankles and above in a bid to dispossess them.
His belligerence has him walking a thin line every time he plays, but he is the sort of guy every team needs. It was his intelligent through ball in the 28th minute that led to Jason Dagens, who had drifted in from wide on the left for the first time, searing past Aidy Kelly and Conor Stratton before beating Rory Burns with an angled finish to make it 1-1.
With 31 minutes gone Ballynagross’ Conor McAllister and Kevin Gracey and Castlewellan’s Conor Stratton and Aidy Burns were all booked after a bit of a flare-up and four minutes later Gracey picked up a second yellow for a foul on Buns and was sent off.
Ballynagross immediately withdrew wide man Taggart and brought on Stephen Galbraith in a bid to bolster their midfield with Matt Rooney going to right back.
The second half had just started when Galbraith subtly played a peach of a pass out wide to Gavin Burns in a move straight off the training field. Burns caught McKibben out of position and he raced in on goal before beating Burns all ends up with a cracking finish with less than 10 seconds on the clock.
Castlewellan had it all to do now as Ballynagross were more than happy to allow them possession and as long as the Town played in front of their back four, Fryer and Galbraith were content to let them keep the ball.
Galbraith was then desperately unlucky not to make it 3-1 when his audacious chipped effort beat Burns only to rattle the crossbar in the 52nd minute and at the other end a run and shot from Trainor was saved by McAllister.
Although Castlewellan had the majority of possession, Ballynagross remained dangerous on the break, but all that changed in the 76th minute.
They committed the cardinal sin of not defending a trade mark long throw and Aidy Burns was on hand to stab in the equaliser, but there was a touch of controversy about the goal as the Castlewellan linesman had rightly flagged a throw for Ballynagross, but he was overruled by the referee who awarded it to Castlewellan.
This was the signal that the Town needed and they threw caution to the wind by bringing on Aiden Dornan and Caolam Corrigan in a bid to add some width to their play and go for the winner.
With 86 minutes gone Dornan, who was only on the field a matter of seconds, sped down the right flank and crossed for a totally unmarked Aidy Burns to blast home the winner and leave Ballynagross totally deflated.
Ballynagross: C. McAllister, K. Gracey, M. McKiernan, A. Beattie, N. Young, R. Fryer, G. Burns, M. Rooney, J. Dagens, C. Boyd, M. Taggart. Subs: S. Sloan, R. Burns, S. Galbraith.
Castlewellan: R. Burns, B. Travers, D. McKibben, A. Kelly, C. Stratton, S. Russell, N. Toner, C. Burns, A. Burns, S. Trainor, D. Morgan. Subs: Conall Corrigan, Caolam Corrigan, A. Dornan.
Ballynagross 2
Castlewellan 3
NEWCASTLE LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION