Hammer blow for Nortel

Nortel 1

IF the race back in to the Premier Division really is a marathon, it looks as if long-time pacesetters Nortel have hit the wall, and just one point now out of the last nine sees Jamsie Kirk’s side drop out of the top two, following this hammer blow by Shankill United.

It was one that the Factory side didn’t look like losing until Shankill landed the knockout blow just three minutes from time.

However, as Nortel coach John McMinn said afterwards: “At least it’s still in our own hands, but now we definitely need to get our act together. We got the ball into the box enough; it’s just that we didn’t create enough chances.”

Nortel forced the early pace, with Joe McRoberts deprived by one-time Linfield and Larne netminder Robert Robinson.

Shankill came more into the frame midway through the half, but with the keepers hardly overworked, it perhaps wasn’t unduly surprising that both teams went off at the interval still awaiting the opening goal.

And when the impasse was broken after the turnaround, it came courtesy of a mistake – Nortel’s Andrew Doyle, in trying to clear his defensive lines, instead sliced the ball past keeper Stephen Harbinson into the top corner of the net.

Shankill, nonetheless, weren’t in front for long as Nortel stormed right back, with Mark Wilkinson swivelling round to dispatch the ball wide of the helpless Robinson.

With Darren McKay blazing one over, and Gary Bell heading wide at the back post, it looked as though Nortel would have to settle for a point, up against a Shankill side, already out of the promotion running, and whose minds were surely drifting towards their midweek Clarence Cup semi final.

Yet it was United who were to produce the sting in the tail, snatching that 87th minute winner, and for Nortel this time, there was just no way back.

Nortel don’t have to wait long for the chance for revenge, with the two sides locking horns again on Saturday at the Factory Grounds.

Nortel; Harbinson – Lorrimer, Kyle, A Doyle, Freyne – Bond, McClean, McRoberts, Bell – McKay (Fenner), Wilkinson. Subs (unused) Faulkner, Kirk.