Seconds secure a draw at Ballyclare

Due to a number of players being unavailable for a variety of reasons Ballymoney were forced to field a changed line-up from their previous matches. However they were not going to let this affect their performance on the pitch.

Ballyclare started the brighter of the two teams with a couple of early attempts on goal. However goalkeeper Danielle Stewart was more than up to the challenge and pulled off good saves to keep the game scoreless. Once Ballymoney settled into their rhythm they began to dominate possession with Lauren Mullen, Karen Morrison, and Sarah Gardiner in midfield controlling the play. An attack set up by Lauren saw Ballymoney win their first penalty corner of the match, which resulted in a Ruth Sutherland strike being saved by the Ballyclare goalkeeper.

Towards the end of the first half Ballyclare began to gain more possession and were able to put some pressure on the Ballymoney defence. Strong defensive play by Becky Greer and Ciara McGuigan limited attacking chances, but an opportunity for Ballyclare saw one of their midfielders escape her marker and slot the ball in the bottom corner of the goal to give them a lead at halftime.

The second half was an evenly contested affair with chances on both sides. Both Shannen Smyth and Emma Patton were unfortunate to see well-worked opportunities pass just outside the posts, but the Ballymoney forwards were linking up well with their midfielders and creating more openings. Special mention must go to Sarah Reid making her debut at centre-forward who performed brilliantly despite being out of her normal position!

The break finally came for Ballymoney when a penalty corner again allowed Ruth Sutherland to strike and this time her shot found the way into the Ballyclare net, albeit via a defender's foot! Buoyed up by this equaliser Ballymoney contined to press for the winning goal, but were unable to find the net a second time. The final score was Ballymoney 1 Ballyclare 1.

Team list:

D. Stewart R. Sutherland L. McCurdy B. Greer C. McGuigan K. Morrison L. Mullen S. Gardiner S. Reid S. Smyth E. Patton