Kennedy double gives Killyleagh the spoils

Kennedy double gives Killyleagh the spoils

13 April 2016

STEVIE Kennedy’s two first half goals sent Killyleagh rocketing up the Division 1A league table.

The Belfast visitors were left floundering by Kennedy’s pace, and finishing, as the YC completed a league double over one of the sides struggling with them to avoid being sucked into the relegation places. 

Victory made it three consecutive home wins for Killyleagh and stretched their unbeaten run to five games.

Orangefield had no answer to Kennedy’s pacey running in the opening spell and it was no surprise when he gave managers Dale Davidson and Mark Murray the dream start by rattling home early on.

With Philip Rogan bossing proceedings up front, Kennedy’s second goal soon afterwards was even better, finishing off a fine team move.

Kennedy had to be withdrawn and replaced by teenager Stefan Lynch and in the opening period of the second half, Killyleagh struggled to find any rhythm.

Their best chance of adding to the scoreline came from a great Peter Strain run and cross that Lynch was inches away from connecting with. 

Sensing that this could be a pivotal day in the contest for league survival, with many of the other teams at the bottom winning, Orangefield came more into the game and it took some great defensive play by Gary Murray and John Joe Sharvin, and interceptions from Darren McConnell and Ryan Blaney to keep them at bay.

The pressure was finally lifted when teenager Peter Russell burst onto a through pass and did well to make it into the opposition penalty area. However he was scythed down. The ref pointed for a penalty and gave a second yellow to the Orangefield midfielder. McConnell made no mistake from the spot to make it 3-0.

Down to 10 men, the visitors started to dominate. They won a succession of free kicks and corners which Alastair Coburn dealt  supremely well with before they finally made one count in the 72nd minute when Ricky Hamilton headed home at the back post.

Ten minutes later the teams were down to 10 men each when Russell was given a harsh second yellow when the ref ruled he had kicked the ball away instead of back to an opposition player. Lynch had been lucky minutes earlier not to meet the same fate for the same offence.

Sharvin made a great clearance after a defence-splitting pass that threatened to make it an interesting last five minutes, and then Murray did well to mop up after another threatening attack.

In added time, the game boiled over when McConnell was fouled. In the melee that followed, sub Gary Carberry and an Orangefield player were sent off to leave it nine versus nine for the dying seconds.

Killyleagh YC 3

Orangefield 1

AMATEUR LEAGUE DIVISION 1A