Chruchill beaten on the road

DIFFICULT conditions and a spirited Strabane team saw Churchill lose out at Melvin Park on Saturday.

Played on bumpy pitch it was always going to be difficult to play free flowing football. A volley and a rebound was enough to see the result go the way of Strabane with Churchill failing to take their chances.

The home team started much the brighter and Churchill had to defend well to stay in the game. Strabane had several attempts at goal, many of them from distance. Untroubled goalkeeper Dermot Brown was equal to any efforts from Strabane.

The first major chance of the game fell to Strabane when their centre forward went past two defenders and the goalkeeper. When faced with a simple finish he somehow blazed over from six yards.

After an initial spell Churchill started to get a grip on midfield with Richard Dunlop and Gary Simpson taking control.

On the right for Churchill, Karl Phillips was having decent success running at his full back but couldn't find the final ball to open up the home defence. A Simpson through ball released Robbie Godfrey who skipped past two defenders and fed Cathal Deery. His shot failed to trouble the Strabane keeper. Churchill finished the half on top and had several efforts on goal but couldn't break the deadlock.

In the second half Churchill started where they finished. The movement and pace of Godfrey caused all sort of problems and seemed too much for the home side. Again Simpson and Dunlop took control of midfield and fed Phillips, King and Godfrey. Churchill's biggest goal threat looked to be set pieces with the height and aerial ability of McClogan and McCabe.

The best chance to open the scoring fell to Karl Phillips. Godfrey got past his full back and delivered a cross. Morrow and Deery attacked the ball in but it broke to Phillips six yards out. He failed to place his shot on target. The game was now starting to get stretched with Strabane pushing at the other end.

The defining moment came twenty minutes from time when a Strabane volley from the edge of the area was too hot to handle for Brown and the alert centre forward was on hand to tap in the rebound.

Churchill pushed right to the end in search of the equaliser but failed to take their chances. Morrow and Godfrey had the beating of the Strabane back four and stretched the game but the visitors simply couldn't find the finish to level up the game.