Kilroot lose out to Bryansburn

A 3-1 opening day defeat against for ‘new’ Kilroot though there was still enough at Ballywooley Park to encourage manager Terry Thomas as he settles into his third stint in the Rec hot-seat.
By The Newsroom
Published 16th Aug 2012, 11:02 BST

“Like us, Bryansburn had a young team and maybe they were one of the teams we’d be hoping to beat; only you could see they’ve been together longer than us. Our boys did well for their first real 90 minutes together. It gives me plenty of hope for the season – if only we could cut out the mistakes.”

Bryansburn, on the back of two successive relegations, had the early edge but the one survivor of last year’s squad - John Grant - was holding things together at the back, until the 23rd minute when one of his former defensive partners, stand-in keeper Stuart Hamilton clattered into a forward inside the box. Jamie Langston tucked away the resultant penalty.

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The Bangor side consolidated that lead on 31 minutes, with Rec once more paying the penalty; Glen McAuley this time guilty of a needlessly rash challenge, as Langston once more obliged from the spot, planting the ball into that same bottom corner.

On the turnaround, Grant demanded a fine save from the keeper but the points were surely beyond Kilroot once Neil Mallon notched a third on the hour.

The young Kilroot side didn’t throw in the towel, and substitute Lee Conlane scored with virtually his first touch, meeting a Mark Galloway cross head-on.

After the midweek league visit of Bangor Amateurs, Kilroot will be up against it next Saturday, away to Crusaders Reserves at Seaview in the Steel and Sons (kick-off 10.45 am).

Kilroot Rec: Stuart Hamilton – J Smiley, O’Connor, Montgomery, Grant, Galloway, Playfair (Conlane), McAuley, Bittles, Rea (Todd), Deignan (Patton)

Related topics:Kilroot