IT was party time at The Showgrounds for Dee Heron’s last game as Killyleagh manager.
And Heron went out on a high, with his team claiming all three points in this Premier Section clash.
After 854 games in charge, Saturday’s events were always going to be dominated by his final appearance as the boss and indeed the game did largely take second place.
The afternoon began with both teams forming a guard of honour with Heron joined by his first grand-daughter, Emma, resplendent in a YC outfit, as he walked out onto the pitch.
At the end, he was applauded off by his team and all sections of the ground. Later, he was presented with the autographed match ball by IFA President Jim Shaw and YC captain Barry Walsh.
Then it was another round of photos at the end of a memorable era for the Showgrounds club.
“It has been al lovely gesture and I was very touched so many players who had played with me and for me, and people who have helped me over the years made a special effort to be here,” he admitted.
“It was nice to finish on a winning note and get all three points, that pleased me. Maybe I’ll come back in another two years to enjoy it all again,’’ he joked.
As if to underline the significance of his achievement of staying in charge at the highest level with one club for so long, only one member of the Killyleagh team had been born before Heron first began his association with The Showgrounds when he arrived as a player 31 years ago.
In the opening exchanges it was Heron’s youngest son, Jason, who had to be alert to clear an early Nortel attack as the Monkstown side, still needing a point to be absolutely sure of avoiding relegation, threatened to spoil the party.
Killyleagh were sluggish and lucky not to be punished. Nortel came closest on the half hour mark when goalkeeper Michael McKenna was wrongly punished for picking up a deflection from Jordan Kennedy that was classed a back pass 12 yards out. The free kick was crashed into the YC wall and then the rebound was thumped off the YC bar.
In the second half Killyleagh finally awoke from their slumbers and once again it was the genius of Dale Davidson that turned the game. He was only on the pitch a matter of minutes when he threaded through a delicious pass for Darren McConnell on the right wing. He in turned picked out Jason Sullivan for the coolest of finishes after 56 minutes.
It looked as if Killyleagh would kick on from this and add to their tally, but first McConnell and then Barry Walsh were denied by the ‘keeper as they took one touch too many as they raced through with just the ‘keeper to beat.
Walsh was also unlucky with a header which skimmed the bar.
At the other end Kennedy showed real bravery to get his head in to clear, earning a free kick and sore head for his troubles, while the combination of Niall Walsh and Gary Murdoch were as resolute as they have been all season, sweeping up all the danger.
Even so, it took a breathtaking save from McKenna to deny Nortel the equaliser and the point they so desperately wanted.
Late on substitute Thomas Hughes almost stole the glory from a Hugh Ross pass but a fine block kept him out.
One other interesting statistic on the day, it is now 100 years since football was first played at The Showgrounds in April 1912.
Killyleagh YC 1
Nortel 0
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