Slane battle to victory

Moneyslane 4

MONEYSLANE travelled to Newtownhamilton at the weekend to play Tullyvallen in the league.

It was a hard slog for Slane in a game that was bogged down with free kick after free kick as the home side found it hard to cope with the pace of the Slane team.

Both teams found the going hard in the first quarter but Slane were growing in confidence as the game went on and Ervine, Bingham and debutant Lee Feeney all hit just wide of the target.

The home side were finding the Slane players hard to mark and the referee was constantly blowing for free kicks for Slane who were trying to probe away through and past a big strong keeper.

Slane were upping the tempo and on the half hour the deadlock was broken when Gibbons found the feet of Feeney who neatly squared to Ervine. He rounded his marker and the powerful shot sailed past the outstretched keeper and into the roof of the net.

Two minutes later Bickerstaff was called into action when the Vallen striker hit a fierce shot that Bickerstaff parried wide.

Slane were very solid at the back with Wilson and Gibbons taking no prisoners in the central areas and Boyd and Davenport were using the flanks well with some neat passing.

The visitors came out strong at the beginning of the second half; two minutes in Feeney dinked around two players and fired in his shot that was heading for the top corner but the home keeper pulled off a great finger tip save to push it wide for the corner.

It was only a matter of time before Slane were to get a second goal. Bingham found Feeney, he raced across the midfield and hammered in a shot from 20 yards out that flew into the top corner past the helpless keeper.

Fairley and McCann were a real handful for the home side and were just upended every time they received the ball as was the strength of their pace on the ball.

Slane were caught on the hop at the back and Vallen grabbed back a goal when their striker nipped in at the back post to convert giving them a bit of belief.

Davenport was dangerous on the left, breaking up the flank. He found Feeney who hit a fierce shot that bounced back of the bar and Davenport followed in but the keeper again pulled off a good save.

Slane were awarded a free kick 30 yards out, Gibbons stepped up and his thunderous shot sailed through the air, off the bottom side of the bar and into the net for one of the best goals of the season so far – it was probably one of his best goals ever.

Again the home side came back at Slane and somehow scrambled the ball over the line after confusion in the Slane box.

It was all Slane the last 10 minutes and Niblock could have put Slane another goal to the good but his one on one ended with the keeper saving well.

With five minutes to go Ervine was upended, Slane were awarded a free kick wide on the right. Gibbons delivered the perfect ball into the danger zone, Rowan was strong in the air and rose the highest to nod home from six yards out.

Team: G Bickerstaff, N Wilson, N Gibbons, D Boyd, J Davenport, C McConville, N Bingham, J Fairley, A Rowan, T McCann, M Ervine, J Niblock, L Feeney, N Hanna.