Antrim turn up the heat after four-week lay-off
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Rory Brown on the attack for Antrim Seconds against Lisnagarvey.
Portadown 2 Antrim 5
AFTER a long four-week lay off Antrim travelled to Edenville Park to play Portadown in a rearranged league match.
Obviously lacking match practice it took both teams quite a while to settle down as they battled to get the upper hand.
Slowly Antrim took control and the strong midfielders Adrian Murtland, Neil McCullough and Michael Conway began to give the dangerous Ian Brownlees plenty of opportunity to link up with David McClintock and David Mailey to exert pressure on the home defence.
With ten minutes of the half remaining the Portadown goalkeeper Jamie Knipe was almost singlehandedly keeping Antrim at bay as he made save after save.
Antrim won four penalty corners in quick succession - and again it was Knipe who saved the day for Portadown.
Then, in the 31st minute, another penalty corner shot was saved by Knipe and in the ensuing scramble he made two more reaction saves before McClintock slammed the ball into the net from a mid-circle position.
Antrim celebrated the goal but the Portadown team protested so much that the umpires consulted and to the visitor's amazement the umpire changed his decision and awarded them a penalty corner instead.
It is difficult to fathom this decision as Antrim had taken the advantage given from any occurring infringement and had gone on to score.
Although disappointed the Antrim boys remained cool and from the corner Ian Creighton switched the ball left for Stuart McIlroy to sweep it into the net for the half time lead.
It was all Antrim as the second half began and most of the team pushed forward, but in the 43rd minute they were caught napping by a quick Portadown breakout and it took a very good reaction block from goalkeeper Andy Heatley to save the day.
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