Kilroot's bubble is burst in Ford fiesta

Kilroot Rec 1

HAS the Kilroot Rec bubble finally burst?

Paul Hannan’s side saw their lead at the top cut to a single point after taking only a single point out of their last 12, following Saturday’s defeat by Ford at Beltoy.

Crumlin Star, who dropped their first point on Saturday, have always been the clear championship favourites; having won 2a last season when the rest of the current 2a, bar Albion Star and Saturday’s opponents Ford, were in 2b – and therefore it has always been second place that Kilroot have realistically been challenging for.

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A runner-up spot doesn’t guarantee promotion, but the League have already stated that they’re looking for new clubs to meet the required Intermediate standard to bolster a too-small 10-club 1c.

It didn’t help Kilroot’s cause that they were missing the likes of the Hamilton brothers Stuart and Simon, Joel Lough, Johnny McFetridge, Jamie Stirling, Barry Meek and Robbie Kennedy. Yet they ought to have got the wheels rolling on 25 minutes when Andrew Benson was brought down inside the box. Andrew himself had missed a last-minute penalty at Crumlin Star the week before, but this time it was the more prolific Andrew Dummigan who stepped up, only to place the kick too close to the keeper.

Ford who motored into the lead on 35 minutes, accelerating through the Rec rearguard to give keeper Dean Haggan no chance.

Kilroot found their answer five minutes later when Benson and Wallace Nelson combined to hatch an opening for Dummigan to make amends for that penalty miss, drilling the ball low and hard into the bottom corner of the net.

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The visitors began the second half in top gear and it was no real surprise when they regained their lead. It really was fiesta time for Ford when they added a third 20 minutes from time.

Kilroot Rec; Haggan – D Wright (J Wright), Smiley, McKee, Braiden – Gibb, Dallas, Armstrong, Benson (Anderson) – Dummigan, Nelson.

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