Good day for Lurgan as they go top of table

LURGAN recorded a comfortable if workmanlike win over Mid-Ulster rivals Armagh at the Junior High School last Saturday.

Sometimes the result is more important than the performance and this was one of those occasions. Having beaten current league champions Pegasus in their last match, it was vital Lurgan did not drop any home points in the next one.

Seizing the initiative Lurgan went on the attack from the first whistle but a strike from an early penalty corner award flew high and wide. A second one 10 minutes later saw the move disappointingly break down without a shot on goal. Armagh defended in numbers, relying on the long ball to try and pick out their quick breaking forwards but were having little joy from an alert Lurgan defence. The same ploy had seen them defeat Lurgan in an Irish Cup match earlier in the season but the home side had learnt from this reverse and quickly cut out any threat in this direction.

Despite Lurgan enjoying most of the possession, there were very few chances of any note and play was dis-jointed as attacks were broken down at regular intervals. A through ball from Hannah Grieve to Jo-Anne Wilson on 14 minutes provided one of the few shooting opportunities but Jo-Anne’s shot was well saved by the Armagh keeper. It was going to take something special to open up the visitors defence and provide the home side with the goal their overall play and possession deserved. On 16 minutes Lurgan provided something extra-special with arguably the goal of the season. The move started deep in the Lurgan third when Louise Murray picked out Charlene Hull centre field 15 yards inside the Lurgan half. Charlene fed the ball wide to overlapping wingback Serena Barr who was breaking down the Lurgan left wing. Serena slipped the ball inside to Zoe Hawthorne who neatly found Sarah McClure on the edge of the Armagh circle. Sarah squared the ball to Lucy McKee on the centre spot and seeing the advancing Armagh keeper begin to go to ground Lucy neatly lifted the ball over her diving body and in to the back of the net. A superb goal, the culmination of a sweeping move in which no Armagh player was able to lay a stick on the ball.

Unfortunately Lurgan were unable to build on this lead and despite the award of another penalty corner on 23 minutes were unable to get a shot on goal. The half drifted out with a period of scrappy play and the threat of Armagh nicking an equaliser which they scarcely deserved.

Lurgan began the second half in a more determined and controlled fashion. A Zoe Hawthorne shot on six minutes flew just wide of the Armagh post and inches from the end of an inrushing Betheny Barr’s stick. Lurgan were looking very dangerous and putting tremendous pressure on the Armagh defence but having no luck in front of goal. Another penalty corner award frittered away without a strike on goal and a Sarah McClure reverse stick shot on 12 minutes went just wide. As well as this Armagh always carried the threat of the quick break and an unexpected equaliser. Hannah Grieve saved her sides blushes with a beautiful piece of defensive work when she skilfully robbed the fast breaking Armagh centre-forward when Lurgan looked to be caught out at the back.

A welcome second goal came on 22 minutes courtesy of a goalkeeping error and the quick thinking and instinctive finishing of Bethany Barr. A ball fired into the circle from the right, was miscontrolled by the Armagh keeper and Bethany nipped in to fire home and give her side a little breathing space. In truth after this Lurgan should have added to their lead but were unable to add to the scoreline despite three more penalty corner awards.

Credit must also go to the Armagh keeper who managed to block a Lucy McKee drag flick from one of these and a reverse stick shot at another from the same player. Nevertheless Lurgan attacked right to the final whistle and Jo-Anne Wilson was very unlucky not to get on the scoresheet in the final minute when her well struck shot cannoned off a post after good approach play from Zoe Hawthorne.

After the final whistle Lurgan discovered that this victory had propelled them to the top of the Premier League as results in other fixtures had gone their way. A tremendous achievement and one the should be justly proud of, the target now must be to stay there.