MOUNTJOY UNITED..............................0

STRABANE..........................................1

By Tommy Nethery

A FIRST-half header by substitute Thomas Moore gave Strabane their third league win of the season at Lisnagirr Road, a victory that would have been significantly more comprehensive had it not been for the outstanding David Gilfillan in the home goal.

During the course of an intriguing encounter the United custodian made no fewer than four stunning stops, three of which came in the opening 12 minutes of the second half and which allowed Mountjoy to maintain their interest until the final whistle.

Indeed the home side could well have snatched a share of the spoils in stoppage-time when United left-back Ian Good headed a David Rennie cross that had skidded up off a saturated surface agonisingly past Stephen Conroy's left post from four yards out.

Had United grabbed a late equaliser it would have been rough justice on a visiting outfit that always appeared to hold the upper hand.

But it was Richard Beckett's charges that should have opened the scoring with barely five minutes on the clock. The Strabane defence was caught square, striker Patrick Northern surged through on the left but screwed his effort inches by the far upright.

That was United's only threat until first half stoppage–time when from a similar position Northern was thwarted by the legs of the visiting netminder.

In between those Northern attempts, Brendan McColgan's visitors established a firm grip on proceedings with the experienced midfield duo of Seamus Gallagher and Gerard Donaghey becoming increasingly influential while the impish Adam Coyle provided the occasional moment of real quality.

On 22 minutes Donaghey threaded Brian Patterson through the heart of the Mountjoy defence but the left-sided attacker's shot took a slight deflection and squirmed past Gilfillan's right upright.

Patterson then flashed an effort well over from 20 yards before Coyle teed-up Strabane spearhead Adrian Nelson to shoot horribly above the home target.

The visitors were beginning to crank it up and following a sweeping move involving Coyle, Nelson and Donaghey, the overlapping Neil Conroy raced clear but again Gilfillan came to the rescue by getting a strong hand on the left-back's rasping angled drive.

Moments later Strabane made a deserved breakthrough. The home defence momentarily pushed the snooze button as Patterson whipped his left-sided corner into the near-post danger zone and Moore was on hand to head home.

The goal stung United into action as Stephen Conroy safely gathered a 25-yard daisy-cutter by David Matthews before the Strabane custodian did brilliantly to thwart Northern at the second time of asking.

It was Mountjoy's opponents though that began the new half in rip-roaring fashion with Gilfillan sticking out a leg to deny Coyle before charging off his line to beat Moore to Nelson's threaded pass.

And it was the Mountjoy keeper to the rescue yet again, saving from Donaghey who showed the home defence a clean pair of heels after picking the pocket of Stephen Montgomery.

In truth, Strabane should have been out of sight but with a minimum between the sides, the homesters still had a chance. And, as the heavens opened the tide began to turn with Northern somehow nodding over from three yards out, after Rennie had headed a Montgomery corner kick back across goal.

Rennie then found space on the right but his delivery was much too long for the inrushing Matthews and substitute Attila Buick, the latter also failing by a whisker to get the required touch on another inviting Rennie cross in the dying moments.

As United urgently went in search of an equaliser, their opponents were looking increasingly threatening on the counter as Moore failed to connect with a Nelson centre while Coyle killed a Gallagher cross with an exquisite first touch before crashing his shot against Gilfillan's right post.

Then came that glorious last-gasp opportunity that could have earned Mountjoy an unlikely share of the honours. Alas Good, flush in front of goal, steered his header agonisingly wide of a gaping net.