Ten-man Whites get derby win

Saturday’s game between Distillery and Donegal Celtic was no different, the Whites edging a hard-fought encounter 1-0. Sean Southam bagged a second half winner for the visitors, who played 70 minutes with 10 men after Robbie White was given a straight red.

The first chance of the game fell to Distillery forward Sean Southam as Bingham’s through ball found the lurking forward only for a scramble by former Whites youth keeper Gerard McErlean, who atoned for a blunder from the original cross to make to a fine save.

The game then hit its first big moment of controversy as Lisburn Distillery were reduced to ten men on 23 minutes as a heavy tackle by Robbie White was adjudged to be a straight red card offence.

Down to ten men, the Whites seemed set to be battling for 70 minutes for a point but the reduction in men seemed to spur them on and only keeper McErlean kept DC level with a neat double-save from Jones and Southam.

The passion of the derby soon saw things spill over on the touchline with Whites manager Tommy Kincaid’s patience at some poor DC tackles leading to the referee having to talk to the Distillery manager.

Finally, the breakthrough came on 70 minutes as Distillery took the lead. Sean Southam took advantage of a great through ball from Peter Sargent before placing the ball past the advancing McErlean to raptures of noise from the visiting support.

Stephen Doyle was brought on to replace the out of sorts Martin Jones and had a superb chance to wrap it up as O’Connor played in the striker but his shot was superbly saved by the legs of the home keeper. At the other end, McBride made a match winning save as he stopped Hughes’ powerful shot

Donegal Celtic threw everything but the kitchen sink at Distillery in the seven minutes of added time but the Whites held on to take the derby win.

DISTILLERY: McBride, Sargent, McIlhagga, Burns, Nixon, O”Connor, Bingham, White, Jones, Thompson , Southam

Subs: McDonnell (for Bingham), Doyle (for Jones), Smith, Corrigan (for McIlhagga), Kirgan.