Newbuildings continue their winning ways

Newbuildings United...3Kesh...2

PLAYED in glourious October sunshine was not what the Newbuildings United team needed after most of the team recovered from a wedding the previous day and a trip to an international game the night before.

With only half the team in fine form it turned out to be a harder game than expected.

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As in previous games Utd got into the groove early on with captain G McIvor testing the keeper early on, with shots from the edge of the box straight at him and one fizzing past the post. Then in the twelth minute it was the captain who finished when a cut back from Culbert hit his stomach and rolled past the keeper.

Kesh were always threatening on the odd counter attack, but for poor finishing should have been level. It was United who, with the next goal, doubled their lead. Simpson directed a cross from the right, which split the away defence to shreds, for P McIvor to finish at the back post.

Newbuildings lost Culbert to injury, D Scanlon replaced Culbert and immediately got into the action with a diving header which just cleared the crossbar.

Ten minutes remained of the first half when Kesh came on strong and pulled a goal back when their striker, who obviously to everyone but the referee was standing well offside, hit keeper Wray with his shot which then rolled to a team-mate who rolled the ball into the open net.

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Kesh then hit the bar twice in the same attack before equalising on the stroke of halftime. United lost the ball on the halfway line to the right-back, who clipped a perfect ball to the back post were it was banged home by the unrushing striker.

The break saw Newbuildings regroup, McKeegan replace the injured Wray in the home goal, and after a heated chat in the dreessing room the home side came out with more purpose.

Indeed it took only seconds for the ever improving Curry to glide past four defenders and eventually be upended inside the box, G McIvor cooly finished the resulting penalty which was followed by a huge sigh of relief on the home bench.

There were few more talking points for the rest of the game. Kesh were restricted to long balls into the home defence which coped quite confidently.

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For the second game in a row the man of the match was at the heart of the defence, Moore collecting the prize this week. Elliott had another steady game in the middle and Merchant just signed from Tullyally made an equally steady debut.

This Saturday sees Newbuildings travel to the inform Tobermore United In the Craig Memorial Cup for the sixth time in eight years.

A win will see Newbuildings reach the final for the first time in their short history. Last years fixture seen Tobermore win 2-1 and go on to win the trophy, so the Waterside men will be hoping to reverse the scoreline.