Dromara lose out to Rathfriland rockets

13 August 2014

DROMARA Village lost out to their fierce rivals in a tough derby clash at Bell’s Bridge.

Rathfriland started extremely well with two goals in the first 40 minutes and although Dromara pulled one back before the break, the visitors wrapped it up with a third 16 minutes from the end.

Rathfriland’s Jason Graham missed the target with his shot from a Noel Lawless free kick and when Conor Mackin went up with Dromara ‘keeper Kieran Gordon to challenge for a Johnny Kernaghan cross, the ball ended up hitting the top of the bar.

Darren McGrath cut across the edge of the Dromara box and shot wide before Dromara created their first dangerous move which saw Alex Wright sending a shot across an empty goalmouth and wide from a narrow angle in the 25th minute.

Conor Mackin was looking dangerous and found himself with only the ‘keeper to beat, but only managed to fire wide. However, after 27 minutes Mackin was celebrating Rathfriland’s first goal of the season.

He rose head and shoulder above the rest in a packed goalmouth to meet Kernoghan’s corner and glace a header to the corner of the net.

Dromara retaliated and Adam McDonald was unlucky to run out of space for a shot after taking the ball round ‘keeper Kieran Maguire.

But it was Rangers who found the net again, Kernaghan whipping in a low free kick from 25 yards that sneaked in at the Gordon’s left hand post.

Another set-piece goal saw the home side pull one back three minutes from the break, Ruairi McArdle tapping a free kick to his right for Luke Russell to fire home a cracker.

Dromara did their best to get level in the second half. They saw an effort headed off the line and Philip Kerr shot wide after being set up by substitute Adam Smyth. Then Brendan McNeill tried his luck from a good position but ballooned the ball over the bar.

But their hopes were ended in the 74th minute when Rathfriland got their third. Kernoghan took the ball wide of the keeper and his shot crashed off the post. It eventually came back out to substitute Phil Main whose sweet shot from outside the box bulged the net.

There were a few mini battles being fought throughout the game, some behind the referee’s back, and after the goal a scuffle resulted in two players getting straight reds, Dromara’s Kyle Hamilton and Rathfriland’s top scorer of last season with over 30 goals, Darren McGrath.

Final score: Dromara Village 1 Rathfriland Rangers 3

Dromara: Kieran Gordon, Mark Drake (captain), Kyle Hamilton, Ruairi McArdle, Luke Russell, Nathan Hamilton, Philip Kerr, Brendan McNeill, Adam McDonald, Alex Wright, Taylor Graham. Subs: Adam Smyth, Ryan McVeigh, Jamie Black.

Rathfriland: Kieran Maguire, Johnny Kernaghan, Brian Bird, Stephen Hutchinson, Aidan Sheekey (captain), Conor Mackin, Jason Gibson, Noel Lawless, Darren McGrath, Reggie Hillen, Tony Lockhard. Subs: Phil Main, Cathal Tumilty, Colm McComish.

Tweets by @TheDownRecorder