Seconds into semi final after 'ruthless' performance

Mossley Thirds 0

BANBRIDGE Seconds produced a ruthless performance at Havelock Park on Friday night to dismantle an uninspired Mossley Third XI 4-0 and book their place in the semi finals of the McClement’s Cup.

The home side’s domination was so complete that Mossley failed to manufacture a single attack into Bann’s circle.

With the McClements Cup offering the Seconds a final opportunity for some silverware this season it was vital that the visiting Mossley side, who ply their trade in Junior 2, were put to the sword professionally, extinguishing any notion of a cup giant killing.

Bann started the game quickly with the vast majority of the early exchanges taking place in the Mossley half. McCague and Macauley were able to offer some width on their respective flanks and linked well with Magee and Wright to force the visiting goalkeeper into action.

Matthew Bell was given an opportunity to test the Mossley goalkeeper with a drag flick after Magee had jinked his way to a penalty corner. Bell’s initial effort was well saved but the rebound fell to the in-form schoolboy Magee who made no mistake in slotting the ball into the net, capitalising on some defensive dithering in the Mossley circle.

Doyle and Kelly’s pace were causing problems for the Mossley defence and both were unfortunate not to extend Bann’s advantage in a match that had the distinct air of an attack versus defence training exercise.

Livingstone had a reverse stick effort skilfully deflected off the line by a Mossley defender and the returning McAnulty shot inches wide from an acute angle with the score remaining at 1-0 as the teams went into the half time interval.

The dynamics of the match did not change in the second half as McKnight and Livingstone were gifted the freedom of the pitch to dictate the tempo of each attack and orchestrate every assault on the beleaguered Mossley defence.

Goalscorer turned provider for Bann’s inevitable second. Magee embarked on a trademark waltz through the heart of the travelling defence before slipping the ball to his strike partner McAnulty who shot first time past the outrushing goalkeeper.

McAnulty had an opportunity to grab his second of the evening but Bann were once again thwarted by the heroics of a Mossley defender patrolling the goal line. McKnight highlighted the gulf in class between the two teams with a moment of clinical brilliance in the build up to Bann’s third. The talented midfielder struck a 40 yard pass with pin point precision into the Mossley circle where Neil Anderson showed great composure to deflect the ball into the path of the supporting Livingstone, who buried the ball into the open net.

Livingstone reciprocated for the fourth and final goal of the contest, firing a quickly taken free hit from the left hand side of the Mossley ‘25’ into the path of Anderson who touched the ball past the abandoned goalkeeper, putting the gloss on a comfortable evening’s work.