End of road for Dromara

End of road for Dromara

22 November 2023

THERE was semi-final heartbreak for Dromara Village in the Border Cup last Wednesday as they were defeated 3-0 by Willowbank YC under the lights of Seaview on the Shore Road in Belfast.

It was the Bellsbridge side’s first semi-final in over a decade, in a competition they were winners of in 2011 and runners-up in 2010 but on the night they were beaten by the better team. 

Although to many on the outside looking in this might appear quite a shock for Dromara Village to lose to a team two divisions below them, it’s not quite the case.

You only have to look at Willowbank YC’s results over the past year or so to know they’re a strong side on an upward trajectory. 

They knocked third-tier Armagh City out of the Irish Cup last season, and did the same to third-tier Moyola Park this season. 

They also knocked two other Premier Division sides out of this season’s Border Cup – Immaculata and Crumlin United - so their league status is deceiving.

Dromara player/manager Peter Turley had a selection dilemma for the match, with forward Ben Martin ruled out through suspension after picking up a yellow card in the previous match – a 3-0 win at home to Rosemount Rec in the quarter-final – a match in which he starred with a goal and an assist. 

Damien Turley – brother of manager Peter – missed the quarter-final through suspension, therefore he was back available for selection, and he came into the side in place of Ben Martin, as captain Philly Kerr was pushed from central midfield into the forward line in a slight reshuffle.

The Village started slowly on the night and, although John Connolly kept Willowbank out in the opening five minutes with a good save to tip over Ciaran Manson’s well-struck 20-yard strike, there was nothing he could do as The Bank took the lead on 19 minutes. 

It came from a move down the right side as the industrious Declan Gill got a low cross into the box where highly-rated 19 year-old left winger Eoin McCullough arrived to dispatch the ball into the corner.

It was almost 2-0 on the half-hour mark, as defender Matthew Reid rose well to meet a corner delivery from Conall Maguire, however, the powerful header flashed just wide of the post.

Dromara Village were unfortunate not to level a few minutes before the break following a quick breakaway as talented winger Stephen Kennedy received the ball 20 yards from goal and took on a sweetly-struck curling effort which hit the crossbar.

From being just a matter of inches away from levelling minutes prior, salt was rubbed into the Dromara wounds as they found themselves two goals down at the break, with Willowbank doubling their lead in additional time at the end of the first half. 

A free-kick delivered into the box from the right was only half cleared by Dromara; it landed in the direction of Willowbank’s Pearse Devine and he chested the ball down before arrowing a low strike beyond Connolly.

The Dromara management made tactical changes at half-time, bringing on their top goalscorer Marcus Murphy in place of central midfielder Sam Kirk, whilst ping captain Kerr back into the middle, and putting Damien Turley into central midfield, in a swap-around with right back Nathan Hamilton – and the changes made them more competitive.

The Village had a strong spell of pressure midway through the second half and were unfortunate not to get themselves back in the game, firstly when an excellent, curling left-footed strike from Philly Kerr from wide right was instinctively headed off the line by a Willowbank defender when the ‘keeper was beaten, and then a short time later when Damien Turley’s sweet strike from distance crashed back off the crossbar. 

Stephen Kennedy also had a deflected shot excellently saved by the goalkeeper as the large Dromara support in the North Stand took encouragement.

However, the Dromara momentum was halted when two of their star men had to depart the action through injury in the last 20 minutes. Philly Kerr went off with hamstring concerns, and Stephen Kennedy went off with knee pain.

Willowbank then put the game beyond doubt as they added a third goal on 83 minutes as right back Oisin Crawford capped an excellent individual display with a goal as he stormed forward and cut inside to produce a nice measured finish into the far corner from 20 yards.

It was almost 4-0 in added time, though Dromara’s 46 year-old veteran goalkeeper John Connolly showed all his class and experience to produce a great save to deny Pearse Devine at close range after the midfielder’s surging run through the heart of the Dromara defence.

Finalists Willowbank YC will face the winner of the other semi-final which takes place tomorrow evening between Comber Rec and Crumlin Star. The final will take place at Seaview on Wednesday, December 27.

Dromara Village: John Connolly; Nathan Hamilton, Peter Turley, Luke Russell, Alex Burtney; Jonathan Gregg, Damien Turley, Sam Kirk (Marcus Murphy 45’), Stephen Kennedy (Ben Hanna 80’); Philly Kerr capt (John Mahoney 75’), James Mahoney.

Willowbank YC: Ciaran Kelly; Oisin Crawford, Gary Manson, Matthew Reid, Ciaran Manson; Christopher Heaney, Declan Gill, Pearse Devine capt, Eoin McCullough; Thomas McCrory, Conall Maguire.