Kyle helps earn Town a point

Shankill 1

After winning their first league game of the season Lurgan Town under 15s found themselves in midweek action against Shankill.

Town went into the game as underdogs, but full of confidence and started strongly as they stopped Shankill from getting a grip of the game early on and began to play with confidence and had Shankill hemmed in to their own half for long periods of the first half.

Shankill who seemed comfortable to play the long ball game were knocked out of their stride early on as Town began to get the ball on the ground and play their high tempo pass and move football, which had Shankill on the back foot as they seemed uncomfortable having to chase for possession of the ball for long periods.

With about 10 minutes of the first half to play Town made the well deserved breakthrough as their pressure eventually told when a ball through the middle of the defence saw Kyle Hamilton break clear and calmly lob the ball over the keeper to give Town a 1-0 lead and the advantage.

Town saw the second half begin with Shankill trying to force a more physical approach as they went in search of an equaliser but to Towns’ credit they stood firm and were able to contain this approach making Shankill become even more frustrated, but before long Shankill managed to break free of a stubborn Town defence and force Keeper Jake Kerr to make a save by pushing the ball from his line and past the post for a corner. After a second corner attempt Shankill did manage a breakthrough when a goalmouth scramble saw a Shankill make it 1-1 with 17 minutes to go.

Town didn’t seem to let this knock them out of their stride and it was they who applied more pressure on Shankill as they sensed a winning goal and for the remainder of the game the only team that looked like winning was Town as they totally dominated the final third of the match, but despite coming close on numerous occasions they failed to find the winning goal.