Five goal Gregg is Slane’s hero in New Year thriller

And in the Harrison household, they still might not. Who could blame Moneyslane striker for reliving Saturday’s game, when he netted FIVE goals to edge out Craigavon City 6-5 in arguably the best local game of the season so far?

Jordan Fairley was also on target for the hosts as Moneyslane clawed themselves within two points of the top of the table.

Brian Quilty was unavailable but Ally Quinn made a welcome return to the squad following injury.

Knowing how important this league fixture was, the home team started in determined fashion and should have taken the lead after just six minutes when Harrison was slipped in but with the keeper to beat his shot rebounded off the post.

He was just getting his eye in and it wasn’t long before Harrison buried the ball into the bottom corner from 14 yards.

Craigavon City then had two great chances to equalise but on both occasions from dangerous positions they failed to hit the target. Then on 30 minutes following a Slane corner, the away team broke and an inviting cross was fired home at the back post to make it 1-1.

Slane came out fired up in the second half and their pressure paid off on 55 minutes when Harrison converted but the lead was short lived when the ball was lost on the half way line and the opponents broke to finish well - 2-2.

Moneyslane responded with a dominant spell of football which saw them score four goals in quick succession, each of them the result of really good team play.

Firstly Harrison again finished expertly to restore the lead and then moments later the same player danced through the defence and calmly found the bottom corner to make it 4-2. Jordan Fairley came on for Mark Anderson and his first involvement was to blast home a cut back from the hard-working Ervine into the top corner.

A rampant Slane then scored a sixth when a mistake in the opponents’ defence gave possession to Harrison who fired home for his fifth goal of he game. Credit to the away team, they never stopped pushing and were still causing problems on the break.

On 83 minutes Craigavon City scored what appeared no more than a consolation goal but then two minutes later, a deflected shot found the net and it was 6-4. Momentum was now with the away team and deep into injury time a speculative lob bounced off the cross bar and an alert striker headed home to make it 6-5.

It was, just about, too little too late from the visitors and the final whistle was music to the ears of the home support, who greeted it with relief.

MONEYSLANE: Blevins, Whitten, Boyd, Shilliday, Peden, Gibson, Coulter, Bingham, Harrison, Ervive, Anderson.

Subs: Quinn, Jason Fairley, Jordan Fairley.