Last-gasp Crumlin strike sinks Barn
Barn United, down to 10 men from the 49th minute, were only three minutes away from a well-deserved point in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Crumlin United.
“I thought we were worth a point. It’s a big pitch at Crumlin to play with 10 men, especially with the team we had out,” said Barn boss, Jim Pherson.
“But the way Crumlin were playing suited us, pumping long balls into the box. It looked as though they were running out of ideas until they got that late winner.”
Crumlin may have had more of the ball but it was Barn who came closest in a scoreless first-half; Omar forcing a magnificent 14th-minute save from Crumlin custodian Mark McKeown before Gary Patterson’s header was cleared off the line.
At the other end, Barn’s only worrying moments came when McKinty sliced a Pat McCafferty cross just wide of the right hand post.
The scales, however, tilted Crumlin’s way on 49 minutes when Rob Armstrong was shown a second yellow for a foul on Ian Brownlees.
Crumlin ought to have taken advantage just two minutes later, when McKinty clattered into McCafferty just inside the box, but Gerard Keenan’s penalty was brilliantly saved by Stephen Brennan.
On 68 minutes, it could easily have been down to 10-a-side, but Crumlin’s Micky Longstaff wasn’t shown a second yellow after he appeared to use his forearm to shrug off McKinty.
Barn coped comfortably until the 87th minute when a Foster header sailed over the onrushing Brennan. Boyce or McKinty could have made the clearance but, going for the ball at the same time, they collided and Sean Mahoney forced the ball over the line.
Barn United: Brennan – McKinty, W Patterson, G Patterson – Sharkey (D Wright), McKee, Bingham (Stewart), Armstrong, Boyce – McFetridge, Omar (Long).