Time runs out for Amateurs U13s

Dromore Amateurs Youth U13s 0

A BRIGHT Saturday morning saw the Tegral Building Products U13s travel to Lurgan Park for a Mid Ulster Knockout Cup contest with Belfast's Donegal Celtic.

An evenly balanced contest kicked off with both teams playing attractive football and opportunities arising at both ends. In the opening period both DC and Dromore had penalty appeals turned down, but DC eventually opened the scoring from open play, a low shot coming from the edge of the penalty area and beating keeper Neil Herron at the far post.

Dromore went in search of an equaliser with attackers Ryan Cunningham and Callum Barnes getting a number of chances, many from the impressive driving performance from midfielder Ben Martin.

At the back, Bob Gibson and Louis Simpson were coping well with DC's attack with sweeper Stuart Wilson providing excellent cover right across the back line. This largely restricted DC to a number of long-range efforts for Herron to deal with whilst Dromore were concentrating on getting chances inside the box.

The half came to a close with the contest very open.

Dromore made a number of changes for the second half and this saw further pressure from the locals. Kyle Shakesby was having an excellent game at right wing-back and Dromore pushed up the right flank constantly.

Barnes forged into the box from this side on a break but support hadn't arrived in time giving him no option but to shoot from a tight angle but the keeper was equal to it.

Nathan Thompson and Daniel Abraham added to the front-line pressure and the young Amateurs continued to push into the DC box in search of an equaliser.

As time was running out Dromore pushed further numbers forward and this almost paid off, a Gibson free kick low into the box giving a great opportunity which wasn't converted.

The game ended with two corners for Dromore, DC scrambling the first over their own byline and the locals pushing everyone forward for the final place-kick, but time ran out before a desperate Dromore were able to take the game to extra time.

The KS Home & Garden Services man-of-the-match for Dromore was midfielder Ben Martin.

Team: Herron, Shakesby, Hawthorne (Hamill), Gibson, Simpson (Thompson), Wilson (c), McConville, Russell, Martin, Cunningham (Abraham), Barnes.