Kennedy marks his return with winning goal

Kilroot Rec 4

Albion Star 3

KILROOT move four points clear at the top of 2A following this hard fought win over second placed Albion Star, who at one time looked set to topple Rec from their perch, two goals up and only half an hour left on the clock.

All in all though, it was a very tense encounter, with referee Jim Holden perhaps doing well to keep the full quota of players on the park.

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It was the Belfast side, one point behind Kilroot with two extra games under their belts, who were first off the mark, with Paul O’Neill easily side footing past keeper Dean Haggan, after two Rec defenders had gone for the one ball.

Kilroot would have cancelled that one out had the Star keeper not pulled off an excellent reflex save to keep out a Rob Armstrong header.

Instead, it was Albion who tightened their grip on the hour, courtesy of a well worked goal from Colin Thompson.

But two minutes later Kilroot were back in the hunt, with Andrew Dummigan slotting home the penalty, after the referee had spotted Armstrong being nudged inside the box.

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Kilroot now were up and running, and just a few minutes later were back in tandem, with Dummigan nodding in a corner from substitute David Kidd.

Kidd was certainly asking all sorts of questions for the visitors defence and he soon claimed his second assist, crossing for David Gibb to edge Kilroot in front for the first time.

Star, nonetheless, weren’t out of it yet, storming back with the goal of the game, scored by Dermot McPhillips on 82 minutes.

From there on in, it looked as though the next goal would win it, and sure enough it went to Kilroot just three minutes from time, with Robbie Kennedy marking his return from injury, nodding in a cross from fellow substitute Andrew Benson.

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Next Saturday, Kilroot travel to Ballyclare to meet third from bottom 4th Newtownabbey Old Boys.

Kilroot Rec; Haggan – Braiden, Stirling, McKee, Stuart Hamilton – Cooper (Kidd), Armstrong, McFettridge (Benson), Gibb – Dummigan, Lough (Kennedy).

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