Month: October 2021

We invite Dundela to Dixon Park tomorrow night for our next Lough 41 Championship fixture.

Match Info

When: Friday 8^th October – Kick-Off 7:45pm

Where: Dixon Park

What: Lough 41 Championship

Entry: Pay at the gate – £8 (Adult) / £5 (Concession)

Match Sponsor: G.M Pressure Washing

Ball Sponsor: The Mortgage Shop, Ballyclare

The Opponents

Dundela have had a surprisingly poor start to the campaign and currently sit second from bottom in the Lough 41 Championship. However, the East Belfast side seemed to have turned a corner since the arrival of manager Niall Currie. They swept to a four-goal victory over neighbours HW Welders in the East Belfast derby at Wilgar Park last Saturday to record their first win in the Lough 41 Championship this season. Eoin Kane opened the scoring for the Duns as early as the second minute after meeting a free-kick to direct a header past keeper Ben McCauley. The Welders had the ball in the net soon after but it was ruled out offside, and they fell further behind on 20 minutes when Guillaume Keke headed home a cross from the left at the near post. That was how it stayed until Jay Magee added a third for Niall Currie’s side on 69 minutes following a goalmouth scramble. Keke then doubled his tally, and completed the scoring, with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining courtesy of a right-footed effort into bottom corner.

The Comrades

The Comrades got back to winning ways last Saturday with a 2-1 victory away to Dergview. An Andrew Mooney double secured the points for the Comrades. Scoreless at the break, both goals came midway through the second half. The 24-year-old opened the scoring on 63 minutes with a back post header six yards out after Tom Mathieson had knocked the ball over following a mazy run. And Mooney doubled his tally just five minutes later when, following a botched attempt at a clearance, he dispossessed a defender to tuck the ball past keeper Alan Buchanan. Benny Igiehon pulled one back for Dergview with ten minutes remaining but it wasn’t enough to spark a late comeback. Howard Beverland & Ian Fletcher both returned to the starting line-up on Saturday following their injuries.

Last Time Out

December 2019 was the last time these two sides met as Dundela came away from Dixon Park with all 3 points. In the end it took just one goal to separate the two sides. The Duns got off to the brighter start with Jay Magee seeing Ballyclare keeper Ben McCauley doing well to tip his 20-yard free-kick over after eight minutes. Unfortunately, the first half turned out to be a scrappy affair with the next real effort of note not arriving until stoppage time when McCauley was on hand to deny Owain Beggs. Ballyclare had a great chance early in the second half when Joe Tully laid the ball off for Gary Donnelly 12 yards out but Ryan McBride did well to save. Dundela were next to threaten when, on 71 minutes, substitute Carl McComb was thwarted at the near post by McCauley while, at the other end, Tully fired over from seven yards. What proved to be the only goal of the game came with just less than a quarter-of-an-hour remaining when Tiarnan McNicholl fired home from just inside the area. Both sides had efforts late on with Tully and Beggs coming close but Dundela held on to secure the points.

We travel to Darragh Park tomorrow afternoon to take on Dergview in our next Lough 41 Championship fixture.

Match Info

When: Saturday 2^nd October – Kick-Off 3:00pm

Where: Darragh Park

What: Lough 41 Championship

Entry: Pay at the gate – £8 (Adult) / £5 (Concession)

The Opponents

Dergview currently sit 9^th in the Lough 41 Championship, 5 points behind the Comrades in 5^th. They go into tomorrow’s game following a 3-2 defeat away to Knockbreda last Saturday. Goals from Benny Igiehon and Cathal Farren in the second half threatened to undo Knockbreda’s 3-0 lead from the first half but the hosts were able to hold out. Dergview have only been beaten once at home this season, a 2-0 defeat to Newry City, and recently took Danske Bank Premiership side, Carrick Rangers, to extra time in the Bet McLean League Cup. Manager, Tommy Canning, will be looking for a reaction from his side following last week’s defeat.

The Comrades

The Comrades go to Darragh Park following last week’s disappointing 3-0 defeat away to Ards. After a somewhat cautious start to the game at both ends, it fell to Patrick Cafolla to open the scoring just before the half-hour mark when he found the top corner from around 20 yards from goal. Ards then doubled their advantage on 43 minutes through Ross Arthurs to take a commanding lead into the break. Andrew Mooney came closest in the second half for the Comrades when he rattled the crossbar. However, Calvin McCurry made sure of the points for Ards four minutes from time. Paul Harbinson made no excuses following the game and said his side were poor and must improve on consistency. Speaking on tomorrow’s trip away to Dergview, Paul Harbinson said “We’re going to have to go and work hard on our competition as Dergview have been playing fantastic football, in the middle of the park they dominate, and we didn’t do that tonight (against Ards) and haven’t done that for a while. We need to question ourselves and look at what we do next”.

Last Time Out

January 2020 was the last time these two sides met in the Championship. Two quickfire goals were enough for the Comrades to get the better of Dergview at Dixon Park. The sides traded chances during the opening phases with Joe Tully dragging an effort wide for Ballyclare while Paul Smith just failed to hit the target for the visitors. Dergview keeper, Alan Buchanan, was then called into action to turn a Gary Donnelly shot around the upright while Jordan Malone headed just over later in the first half. Ciaran Dobbin came closest early in the second half when his header from a Donnelly corner was touched onto the crossbar. But, on 57 minutes, the Comrades eventually found a way through when Donnelly dinked Buchanan from eight yards after connecting with a Tully through ball. And, around sixty seconds later, it was 2-0 when Tully got his name on the scoresheet with a 20-yard drive. Dergview attempted to hit back; Emmett McNabb fired just wide from six yards while Smith was denied by Ben McCauley. The home keeper came to Ballyclare’s rescue again in the closing moments to thwart Smith again, but Dobbin almost added a third for the home side in stoppage time when his effort came off the keeper and onto the bar.