BALLYCLARE COMRADES....................... 2
DERGVIEW.......................................... 0
By Tommy Nethery
STRUGGLING Dergview are going to have to achieve something they have failed to do so far this season if they are to advance to the second round of the Cooperative Insurance Cup – score three times.
On Wednesday evening Colin Colhoun's charges take on Ballyclare Comrades in the second leg of their first round tie at the Riverside Stadium, Drumahoe looking to overhaul a 2-0 deficit following a disappointing first leg performance at Dixon Park on Friday evening.
The opening exchanges apart, the Comrades ruled the roost throughout and but for a number of outstanding saves by goalkeeper James O'Reilly the tie could have been put beyond the reach of last year's Carnegie Second champions.
As it stands the Darragh Park outfit have a chance, albeit an extremely slim one. In five outings the Castlederg side has conceded 11 goals and scored just twice which earned them a league victory over Limavady.
On Friday night Lee Donaldson and Darren Gamble were both given starts, while ex-Wolves trainee, Thomas Bonner, after an impressive debut for the second string, was amongst the replacements.
On their home patch, the Comrades called the tune from early doors with O'Reilly immediately engaged as the visiting rearguard was worked overtime by a confident home attack looking to make an early impression.
All round the park the visitors were second best and 30 minutes had elapsed before Dergview managed to pose a realistic threat on their opponents goal. A sweeping move involving Paul Carlin, Gareth Sproule and Eamon Donnelly ended up with striker John McLaughlin heading Gamble's pinpoint right-wing delivery wide of the back post.
Somehow, the tie remained scoreless at the interval but in the opening exchanges of the second half the Comrades eventually made the breakthrough that their approach play deserved. Ballyclare continued in the ascendancy and with 15 minutes remaining a spectacular half volley put the homesters firmly in the driving seat and in control of the tie. In between, Dergview almost snatched an equaliser which could have changed the final outcome; at the very least it may have given the visitors a lifetime and a degree of optimism going into the second leg.
Bonner, who had replaced Gary Dickson, created the initial incision for Gamble to tee-up McLaughlin but the striker's close range effort rebounded off the crossbar. That was the closest the Derg visitors came to breaching a dominant home defence although in the dying minutes Carlin sent two angled drives narrowly wide of the Comrades goal.
