United win close derby

United started the better playing some good possession football with Curry and Falconer looking lively on the flanks and it was these two who combined to open the scoring.

Falconer broke down the left and sent in a low teasing cross which just evaded McIvor at the front post but Curry made no mistake arriving at the back post to slam the ball home.

Dungiven almost equalised against the run of play when Kane beat the offside trap but young Wilkinson in the home nets was alert to the danger rushing off his line to palm the ball away from Kane’s feet.

Newbuildings almost doubled their lead when Wallace beat a couple of challenges but shot straight at the keeper from just inside the box.

The visitors were unlucky not to draw level when a header from a corner was destined for the back of the net only for goal scorer Curry being in the right place to head off the line.

The second half saw Dungiven put pressure on the home side and they should have been 3-1 ahead only for poor finishing.

First their midfielder blasted over from six yards out, then Kane shot across goal and wide when well positioned and the same player missed a header from just a few yards out, again putting it wide of the target.

United too had their chances to extend their lead with Curry hitting the side netting with an angled drive and McSparron, on for the injured McIvor, dragged his shot wide with only the keeper to beat from 12 yards out. Falconer probably had the best chance of the game when after good work on the left he found himself at the corner of the six yard box with the keeper to beat but instead of slipping the ball inside to an unmarked Robinson he chose to shoot and struck the post with the ball rebounding to safety.

Robinson thought he had got his name on the scoresheet when he flicked a shot from Ferguson past the keeper and into the net only for it to be ruled offside. The same player soon made amends from the spot when Newbuildings were awarded a penalty for handball, coolly dispatching the ball into the corner sending the keeper the wrong way.

Dungiven’s day got even worse when they lost their keeper to a professional foul when he brought down Trevor McSparron just outside the box.

The Waterside men will travel this Saturday to Draperstown for their last league game before the Christmas break.

And what a game that will be after the break when they face Strabane Athletic in the League Cup Final on Saturday, December 29, at Wilton Park (KO 1pm) and if the league game between these two is anything to go by this should be quite an entertaining game.