Antrim Guardian - Sports - Antrim avenge only League loss

Sports

Antrim avenge only League loss

Thursday, 19 January 2012

Newry.............2 Antrim............5
Antrim travelled to Newry on Saturday hoping to avenge their only defeat in the League this season as well as extending their lead in their race for promotion into the Premier League.
With top scorer Stuart McIlroy laid low with a bout of flu, Antrim started a little hesitant and the homesters had the early pressure.
Then in the eighth minute, in almost their first attack, Johnny McMeekin played the ball down the left wing to Ian Brownlees and he won a free hit after he was obstructed in his effort to play the ball into the circle.
He took the 'self pass free' himself and skillfully beat at least three defenders as he worked the ball, left to right, across the top of the circle, finding the space to unleash a tremendous volley which banged off the backboards before the Newry goalkeeper could even move, for the 1-0 lead.
Newry attacked straight from the hit off and the Antrim defence was deceived twice by well disguised Newry free hits which allowed their unmarked right winger to win a couple of long corners from his well placed crosses.
The hit from the second corner was not cleared properly and from the scramble in the circle Robbie Irwin forced the ball past the diving Antrim goalkeeper, Andy Heatley, to bring the scores level.
Ricky McClintock replaced Rory Brown as Newry piled on the pressure especially down the left wing. A cross from the left gave a Newry forward a great chance to score but his shot was well saved by Heatley and cleared away.
Then a break down the right by Andy Linford saw Adrian Murtland and the Newry goalkeeper in a race for possession of the ball into the goalmouth. The ball rebounded off the keeper and as Murtland fired it back into the net the umpire, instead of waiting for the advantage, blew his whistle to award Antrim a penalty corner.
The ball was cleared but almost immediately Lloyd Kane broke into the circle to lay the ball off to Neil McCullough but his shot just skimmed the wrong side of the left hand post.
A 16th minute penalty corner hit out bounced over Alan Mullan's stick and the ball was cleared away. Then a Linford, Brownlees combination into the circle from the right allowed the latter to lay off a pass for Kane to sweep the ball into the net to give Antrim the 2-1, 17th minute lead.
David Mailey, struggling with a slight groin injury, was replaced by Alistair Reilly at the right of the back four. While Antrim stopped to dispute a free given against them, Newry quickly moved the ball forward into their circle where Heatley had to make a good smothering save and concede a long corner to stop the goal bound shot.
A disputed decision gave Newry another penalty corner but the ball was scrambled away.
A McClintock effort from an awkward Brownlees pass was blocked by the goalkeeper and cleared away in the 25th minute. Play became scrappy and as Antrim struggled to regain control Heatley was forced to make several saves as Newry pushed for the equaliser.
A McCullough clearance from deep in the Antrim half found David McClintock at the edge of the Newry circle. He quickly pushed the ball square for his brother Ricky to slam it into the net to give Antrim the 3-1 half time lead.
With both teams knowing that the next goal would probably decided on the outcome of this game, play was end to end as the excitement mounted.
Ricky McClintock shot was blocked by a defender in the 38th minute and a penalty corner at the other end was saved by Heatley and the retake was fired wide. The ball was cleared to the Newry end and from a McClintock brother's combination the ball was deflected for a long corner.
The ball was again worked into the circle and this time it was Linford's snap shot that flew wide.
A Brownlees run along the bye line saw his pass edged past the post by Murtland. The hit out was intercepted, the ball played to Brownlees and when two defenders were forced to come out of the circle to try and close him down, he played the ball to David McClintock who had the time and space to reverse sweep the ball past the helpless keeper to give Antrim the 4-1 lead in the 44th minute.
Manager Marty Orr brought on substitutes Brown and young Dean Wilson, but Newry did not give up and as Antrim relaxed David England burst in behind the defence to collect the ball and sweep it, on the reverse, across goalkeeper Heatley to score their second goal in the 53rd minute.
Antrim surged forward and shots from Brownlees and McMeekin were well saved by the Newry keeper.
The home team had their chances but their final passes or shot was intercepted or flew wide.
But on the day no one could match Antrim's 'ace in the hole' Ian Brownlees. A long ball from McCullough found him at the edge of the circle and with his silky skills he worked his way into the goalmouth, to completely bamboozle the three defenders in close attention, and play the ball into the net to give his team the 5-2 lead.
Linford came off with cramp and McCullough was harshly sin binned for a strong tackle as Newry pressed again. Heatley saved another penalty corner shot and the rebound was swept high over the crossbar before the final whistle sounded to give Antrim a hard earned win to give them 30 League points from 11 games played.
This week they travel to Belfast to play Queen's University on Friday night with a 7pm hit-off.
The Seconds travel to Ballykillaire to play Bangor Seconds in a league match on Saturday. Antrim: A Heatley, A Mullan, D Mailey, N McCullough, M Smyth, J McMeekin, A Murtland, L Kane, I Brownlees, A Linford, R McClintock, D McClintock, A Reilly, R Brown, D Wilson.