KILLYMOON RANGERS.........................0
DERGVIEW..........................................1
By Tommy Nethery
LIGHTENING -quick attacker Andy Sproule marked his return to the Dergview camp by netting a second half winner in this closely contested all-Tyrone Ladbrokes.com Championship Two derby clash at a rain-lashed Mid Ulster Sports Arena on Friday night.
With just 15 minutes left on the clock, visiting manager Adrian Forbes showed he still has what it takes by initiating the tactical switch which paved the way for Sproule's timely intervention .
Substitutes David Burke and Gary Dickson came off the bench in a bid to spark a Dergview attack that had lost its cutting edge, changes that meant Sproule, who has returned to the Castlederg club after a season with Mid Ulster giants Portadown, would join his namesake Gareth up top.
And within seconds of Forbes's master-stroke the visitors had scored what turned out to be the decisive goal. Burke immediately made his physical presence felt with a crunching tackle, Dickson was on hand to pick up the pieces and in turn sent Sproule scorching through the heart of the Rangers defence to coolly lift the ball over the advancing netminder.
The goal was the highlight of an otherwise ragged second half, after Dergview had bossed the opening 45 minutes, creating and subsequently spurning a handful of opportunities against a home side that appeared content to defend in numbers.
Rangers offered significantly more in attack in the second period and felt aggrieved late on when they claimed Dergview's uncompromising centre-back Jonny McCaskie had impeded Lee Hunter, Killymoon's best player on what turned out to be a disappointing night for the Cookstown side.
The result was in stark contrast to the mood following an opening day 4-1 away victory at Chimney Corner although manager Don Smyth admitted that the opposition was a different calibre.
"Dergview were a good competent side although it was still a disappointing result," he said.
"We were fairly poor in the first half, didn't have a lot of possession and when we did have the ball we gave it away too cheaply.
"The second period was a more even affair, I felt it was touch and go. Possibly one or two key decisions didn't go our way on the night," the Killymoon supremo added diplomatically.
From the opening whistle a changed Dergview line-up signalled their early intent with Andrew Sproule charging in from the right to fire agonisingly wide when a cross to the unmarked Gareth Sproule may have been the better option.
The visitors, without the services of sharpshooter Ryan Campbell, started with Warner Mullen and Gareth Sproule spearheading the attack while Stephen Campbell and Neil Coulter were preferred in the centre of midfield with Andrew Sproule and Aaron McElwee attacking from the flanks.
That formation gave Rangers plenty of food for thought in defence and for the majority of the first half Killymoon's rangy front man Willie Watson was left to fend for himself against a visiting rearguard of Gareth Gallagher, McCaskie and the Carlins, John and Hugh.
Needless to say Dergview goalkeeper James O'Reilly was rarely tested in the opening 45 minutes although in the second period he was called upon once or twice, most notably with a stunning stop to prevent replacement Ally Young grabbing a late equaliser.
While the home side were more competitive in the second half, the visitors still possessed the aces in attack and probably the superior hand in terms of options on the bench.
And so it proved. Gerard Donaghey came in for McElwee, Campbell moved to the left flank as Forbes tinkered with his pack in a bid to forge a winner.
Moments later, Burke and Dickson were introduced which allowed the manager to unleash the pace of Sproule right at the heart of the Rangers defence. And the former Portadown man ultimately proved to be his trump card.
