Mathers and Armstrong goals boost Kilroot Rec

Having gone two entire seasons without a victory, Kilroot Rec now have two wins and two draws to their credit after Saturday’s 2-1 success away to Groomsport.

It was Kilroot’s first away win since beating 1st Bangor OB back on 17th March 2012.

Kilroot are still anchored to the foot of 1C, three points adrift of Iveagh United.

Rec are also six points behind 18th Newtownabbey with four fewer matches played – yet winning these ‘games in hand’ might not be as easy as it sounds, with seven of Kilroot’s remaining 10 games away from home.

A lot will certainly hinge on the six-pointer at Iveagh, but in the interim, they need to keep chipping away at that deficit.

Rec manager Alan Brennan insisted: “I’ve the squad now to get us off the bottom,” but at Groomsport on Saturday they were missing key players such as Darren McKinty, Simon Hamilton, Neil Lammey, Aaron Bell, Jim Thompson and Tony McDonnell. “It was a depleted squad,” agreed Brennan “but we still went down there and did the business.”

Despite creating a number of opportunities, Kilroot had to be content with a slender one-goal interval advantage with John Mathers scoring from the spot.

They extended their lead after the turnaround when the impressive Rob Armstrong made it two in two games, drilling his shot home after some pinball in the Port box.

That looked to be that, until Groomsport were tossed an unexpected lifeline on the hour as a long, hopeful ball bounced up and over the head of ‘keeper Gordon Priestly.

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