Defeat in cup final rehearsal

4 December 2013

DRESS rehearsals are all about ironing out problems to make sure all goes to plan on opening night.

Last Saturday, Ballynahinch and Portrush squared up to one another in a rehearsal for the New Year’s Day Sussex Regiment Cup final when the sides go head-to-head.

Everything did not go according to plan for the locals last weekend in this Senior Two league clash and the writers clearly have some tweaking to do before Ballynahinch’s players step out at Deramore on New Year’s Day.

Sport is heralded as the drama of the unwritten script and Ballynahinch know that ahead of their next meeting against Portrush they can and certainly must perform a lot better. The locals are a much better side than the one that turned up last Saturday.

Maybe the home side’s performance will lull Portrush into a false sense of security ahead of the New Year’s Day clash. Maybe not. What is clear is that Leslie Harrison’s side has the capacity to win the cup and that player-for-player the locals are on a par with the runaway leaders of Senior Two at the moment.

Ballynahinch were missing twin strikers Alex Millar and Andy McIlwaine for last weekend’s clash when the locals did not fully complete their tried and tested pre-match warm-up routine due to the late arrival of a number of players.

When the whistle went, the home players were not tuned in and it took a while for them to get grips with a side which has blasted away every team in its path this season.

Both teams had early chances to take the lead, with Ballynahinch’s Mark Brown denying John Dillon and his opposite number beating away a shot from the once again impressive Stuart Brown, a player who would surely not look out of a place in any Premier League side.

The visitors, who were pushed hard by Ballynahinch on their own patch earlier in the season before going on to win 8- 4, took the lead following an uncharacteristic mistake by the normally reliable David Bolton.

He lost possession and when the ball was drilled into the home side’s penalty area, an unmarked striker scored past the advancing Brown who was devoid of defensive cover.

Ballynahinch, who handed a senior debut to David Ferris after his transfer from derby neighbours Down, fought back to level things in the 20th minute with a goal from Peter Simpson. Jason Campbell’s shot was saved by the Portrush ‘keeper and when the ball spun free, Simpson was in the right place at the right time to poke it home.

Play was concentrated for much of the game in the middle of the park where the home side deployed five players in a bid to stifle the creativity of their opponents. Skipper Harrison was joined by Bolton, Stephen Crean, Ashley Brown and Hunter and did a great job.

But it was Portrush who scored just before the break to make it 2-1 with a well-worked goal. Lawrence Patterson produced a great tackle to thwart a Portrush attack, but the ball broke loose and was drilled goalwards with a player able to score past Brown. Ballynahinch regrouped at the break and were keen to get back on level terms early in the second half, but it was the visitors who made it 3-1 in the 35th minute. Mark Brown produced a terrific save to deny Dillon, but the ball broke for Aaron McKeemin to score.

With nothing to lose, Ballynahinch started to push forward, with Ashley Brown, Hunter and Campbell all going close before Portrush scored in the 55^th minute to take an unassailable 4-1 lead.

Harrison then went close with a short corner strike and with just 30 seconds to go, Andrew Mulholland scored to make it 4-2 after good work by Hunter.

While it wasn’t the result Ballynahinch wanted, they have time to look at the script ahead of the New Year’s Day final to make the necessary adjustments needed to produce a performance that matters; one that can be a deciding factor on the

destination of the silverware up for grabs.

Ballynahinch 2

Portrush 4

SENIOR 2

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