Antrim Guardian - Sports - ‘Premature’ decision puts Antrim’s big game on ice

Sports

‘Premature’ decision puts Antrim’s big game on ice

Thursday, 2 February 2012

‘Premature’ decision puts Antrim’s big game on ice thumbnail Brian Creighton doubled Antrim’s lead after 15 minutes.

Annadale 2 Antrim 6
ANTRIM were geared up to play South Antrim in a very important League match at the Forum before a snap frost on Friday night left the pitch surface slightly frozen early on Saturday morning.
Instead of waiting until lunch time, some zealous official decided that the ground was unplayable, and cancelled the games to be played there.
It proved to be a very premature decision, for when the match time came the frost was gone and the pitch was perfectly playable.
It's difficult to understand what the rush was to cancel these games as the Centre staff, Club officials and match umpires could have more readily make the correct decision right up to the 2.30pm starting time.
The Seconds game against Annadale Thirds had already been postponed because of pitch congestion with Randalstown Ladies'.
This left the Thirds game and it did go ahead at the Lough Moss Leisure Centre against Annadale Fifths at 4pm.
When these two sides met earlier in the season at the Forum, the Antrim lads were beaten 8-2 so before this match started everyone was psyched up to make sure that they would play better this time.
Straight from the start the Antrim defenders Stephen Gleghorne, Alistair McClements, Adrian Smyth and Adam Monahan ably backed up by goalkeeper Michael Davis smothered all the dangerous Annadale attacks.
This in turn allowed midfielders Joe Dawson, David McGrillen and Ricky McClintock the freedom to constantly feed forwards Brian Creighton, Greg Shirley, Lyle Kane and Rees Adaszkiewicz to pressurize the home defence.
The first goal was score by Kane in the eighth minute when he slammed in the rebound off the keeper from a McClintock shot.
Creighton doubled the lead in the 15th minute when he juggled a cross ball from Shirley before rifling a half volley into the roof of the net.
Annadale responded with a superb open play goal with two very crisp passes to drive the ball past goalkeeper Davis.
Skilful
This was the home side's best period of the game with goalkeeper Davis saving well from two shot corners before a quick break upfield saw McClintock restored the two goal lead when his skilful run from right midfield allowed him to slip the ball under the diving keeper.
Annadale fought back and scored their second just before the break when the left winger fired in a reverse stick shot past the helpless Davis.
As the second half progressed Antrim slowly took control with the two Antrim centre backs Smyth and McClements closing up shop and almost totally playing the Annadale attack out of the game.
The fourth Antrim goal was a peach with Kane picking up a through pass from McClintock and with his back to goal played a cheeky reverse flick over the diving keeper into the net in the 53rd minute.
Ten minutes later Kane completed his hat trick when he crept in behind the home defence to deflect an Adam Myles right wing cross into the net for goal number five.
The sixth and final goal was scored in the 65th minute by Smyth when his short corner shot rebounded back to him and he reacted first to fire a strong reverse stick shot back into the net.
This was a superb team performance with the whole squad playing their part to gain revenge for the early season home defeat.
This week the Firsts travel to Edenville Park to play Portadown in a league match. The Seconds travel to play Kilkeel Seconds in the second round of the Irish Junior Cup. The Thirds have no game.
Antrim Thirds: M Davis, S Gleghorne, A McClements, A Smyth, A Monahan, J Dawson, L Kane, G Shirley, D McGrillen, R McClintock, B Creighton and R Adaszkiewicz.