Newcastle survive relegation contest

Newcastle survive relegation contest

23 January 2013

NEWCASTLE enjoyed a change of fortunes when they bagged three priceless points from this basement battle at Shimna College on a bitterly cold Saturday afternoon.

Victory moved Newcastle away from the immediate relegation zone with 15 points from 15 games, but leaves Ballywalter stranded second from bottom on 11 points from 14 games. Saintfield United prop up the table with seven points from 17 games.

This was a game Newcastle just had to win and they set out their stall from an early stage with Philip Bonny and Gareth Scannell posing the questions from the middle of the park.

Conor Gribben did find an early breakthrough when he planted the ball in the back of the net after 12 minutes, but his effort was ruled out for offside.

Two minutes later Chris Hogg was centimetres away from getting in the end of a low cross from Bonny as Ballywalter continued to live on the edge.

With 20 minutes gone Darren McNamee kept his side alive when he saved well from Bonny, but the visitors then wasted a glorious chance at the other end when Scott Shannon drilled the ball wide from close in with only Paddy Baker to beat.

Newcastle continued to play some intricate stuff with Bonny again at the heart of things and with 25 minutes gone he released Hogg into space down the left, but his cross was inches away from Gribben.

Scannell then wasted a superb opportunity after Bonny had carved out another opportunity, but he opted to pass the ball square to Gribben eight yards out rather than go it alone, but the big striker was ruled offside.

Gribben did have another chance in the 40th minute when he picked up on a bad back pass, but he was unceremoniously upended by McNamee who raced out of his box to clear the danger.

The ‘keeper was booked for his sins and Gribben fired the resultant free kick wide.

Newcastle continued to press after the break, but Gribben was denied a spectacular strike by the crossbar in the 53rd minute. Ballywalter were far from out of it and a minute later at the other end Marc Lyttle shot wide from a great position following a well-worked counterattack.

With 65 minutes gone Baker produced a brilliant save to deny Shannon, but the breakthrough at the other end wasn’t long in coming.

Less than a minute after Baker’s save, Gribben was brought down in the box and Hogg made no mistake from the spot to make it 1-0.

Newcastle emptied their bench after this and David McKenna enjoyed a cameo role when he scooped the ball up and over a stranded McNamee in added time to make it 2-0.

Newcastle: P. Baker, R. Doran, B. Fitzsimons, S. Curran, A. McDonald, G. Scannell, S. O’Connor, D. Travers, C. Gribben, C. Hogg, P. Bonny. Subs: N. Corr, D. McKenna, G. Moore.

Ballywalter Rec: D. McNamee, C. Edwards, S. Melville, J. McClurg, D. McClurg, G. Dorrian, G. Cromie, N. Crawford, R. Kelso, M, Lyttle, S. Shannon. Subs: C. Rogers, N. McFerran, P. Johnstone. 

Newcastle 2

Ballywalter Rec 0

AMATEUR LEAGUE DIVISION 1B