Kilmore rattle seven past Rangers

Kilmore Rec 7

Rathfriland Rangers 1

RATHFRILAND travelled to Premier League pacesetters Kilmore on Saturday with high expectations, but this all disappeared after a frustrating opening 30 minutes.

Rathfriland started the brighter team forcing the home side on the back foot with some attractive football play but Kilmore held firm with some resolute defending.

Throughout the afternoon Kilmore always looked dangerous on the counter attack with former Cliftonville centre forward Gary Kennedy and his partner Sean McCarthy causing lots of the problems for the Rathfriland defence.

The game was literally over as a contest in a spell of 25 minutes as the home side produced some excelllent counter attacking forward play. First player manager Kennedy took advantage of some hesitancy in Rathfriland's defence to slot passed the advancing Rippon.

Niall McCarthy then scored a looping header to increase the home side advantage. Then Kennedy and Sean McCarthy scored two in quick succession breaking from their own box and clinically finishing passed Rippon.

Inbetween Rathfriland had a number of their own chances to score. First Jonny Black had a thunderous shot from 25 yards come back of the crossbar when the score was 1-0. Then Towell and Wilson saw good goalscoring opportunties thwarted by the outstanding Northern Ireland U19 goalkeeper, Nathan Curran for the home side.

The second half was a similar affair to the first half with Rathfriland continuing to play some nice football and Kilmore always looking threatening on the break.

Rathfriland were forced into two changes early in the second half when Rice and Gibbons replaced the injured Weir and Towell. Wee Seany for Kilmore, who was always lively in attack, completed his hat trick midway through the second half with a neat front post finish and then a coolly taken penalty.

Gibbons scored a late consolation goal for Rathfriland, heading home a neat left wing cross from Black.

The same player then should have scored a second minutes later but when clean through shot straight at the advancing home keeper. With five minutes left Kilmore scored again.

Although it was a disappointing afternoon for manager Adair and Rathfriland he can take some consolidation in the fact that Kilmore gave keeper Curran the man of the match award.

Although the scoreline may reflect a much easier contest for the home side, this was certainly not the case and only for some excellent finishing and goal keeping from Kilmore the scoreline would have been much closer.

On a bright afternoon at Adams Park, Crossgar the best team in Kilmore progressed through to the next round of the Border Cup.