20th February 2010

 

Kircubbin travelled to Bangor Sportsplex to play a Bangor YM team which is languishing in the bottom three of the league. The form guide would have predicted a easy victory for the visitors, but Bangor had different ideas. Due to injury and suspension, Kircubbin had only twelve regular squad members to pick from. Nevertheless the management were still confident of victory given the team's recent run of good form.

True to form Kircubbin went on the attack quickly and created several great opportunities to score in the opening ten minutes. But a combination of poor finishing and great goal keeping from the Bangor YM keeper somehow managed to keep the ball out of the home team's net. The form guide was then thrown out the window when Bangor scored with their first attack of the game. A great ball down the wing caught the Kircubbin defence napping and the striker smashed home a powerful shot from the edge of the box. From the re-start Kircubbin again went on the attack, but poor decision making and misplaced passes in the final third of the field seemed to be the order of the day as Kircubbin failed to break down the resiliant Bangor keeper. A total breakdown in communication between Jamie Fowler and Eugene McGrattan gifted the home team a second goal when a speculative cross was allowed to drift all the way into the Kircubbin net, with both Kircubbin players expecting the other to clear the ball. 2-0 at the break and it just seemed to be one of those days when nothing goes right.

Even though the team were two goals down, the management tried to push the positive factors during the half time team talk. The first fifteen minutes of the second half were played out in a similar fashion to the first, with Kircubbin having most of the play without doing any real damage. The breakthrough for Kircubbin came when Turlough Bell brought Kircubbin back into the game with a looping header to the back post. Francis McCann was then introduced into the game as Kircubbin changed their formation for the final half hour. The substitution paid dividends as Francis scored ten minutes from time to give Kircubbin a lifeline. Bangor were now camped inside their own penalty area as Kircubbin laid siege to their goal. But the keeper still managed to pull off a couple of great saves and the post also came to the rescue of the Bangor team as Kircubbin went in search of a vital winner. Deep into injury time Kircubbin got their just rewards when Jonnie Clarke headed home from a corner to give Kircubbin a dramatic 3-2 victory. The three hard earned points maintain Kircubbin's second place in the league.

This week the team are at home to Holywood FC. Team to meet at 1pm.