Club News

01/08/03 Intermediate Footballers beaten by classy Dunloy in Championship

The difference in Divisions, which St. John's Intermediates managed to overcome in their first match against Ballymena, was just too much on the night in Hightown.

St. John's Intermediate Team 2003

Dunloy were altogether the more fitter-looking, faster and hungrier team and St. John's simply had no answer for the waves upon waves of Dunloy men who swept through their defence.

The match started ominously enough for St. John's with Dunloy scoring 3 quick points without reply in the first few minutes. St. John's could not get the ball past midfield and Dunloy were literally queuing up to take shots. One rare inspirational move by the St. John's forwards brought about a cessation of the Dunloy scores when, after a couple of precision passes, Ferghal Collins found himself in sight of goal and finished well to bring St. John's back into the match and on level terms.

Joe Hand jumps to claim the ball

This was to be a false glimmer of hope however as Dunloy continued to ravage the St. John's defence and send over point after point until finally, midway through the first half a Dunloy half forward shot from 20 yards straight into the bottom right corner of the net - Keeper Barry Mulgrew having no chance. The problem was that Dunloy's midfield and half back line pressed forward so often that they provided an overlap for almost every forward move and created more passing choices for their forward line - the St. John's defence were swamped on almost every occasion. Whereas when St. John's went up field they had very little options available to them.

The second half started as St. John's hoped it would with a point for the Belfast men, cutting the deficit. Niall Convery continued his run of good form as he proved to be the best player for St. John's on the night, winning every ball which came into his area.

Barry Mulgrew also excelled in nets, saving a couple of point blank efforts from Dunloy and sending every kickout high and long outfield. Unfortunately the Dunloy keeper was also having a good game - saving a great shot from Collie McKnight and a penalty kick from Gerard McFall late in the second half. The breaking ball also proved to be a killer for St. John's on the night. 95% of the breaking ball must have been won by Dunloy and instantly put the St. John's defence under more pressure. Whilst Kevin McGlinchey was getting on the end of the keeper's kickouts when the ball spilled from his hands there seemed to be 2 or 3 Dunloy men ready to take it from him.

Colm Thompson Jr can't bear to watch his dad's Intermediate team anymore and tries to escape the Hightown pitch

In the end it was a disappointing finish to a good Championship run, and whilst St. John's were not at their best by any stretch of the imagination it could be conceded, with some reluctance, that even if they were at their best Dunloy would have still edged it in the end.

The match ended 1-07 to 2-10.

The Intermediates would like to express their thanks to Gerry McCann and Steven McCann for all their hard work managing the team this year and hope that they can go on to win the league for them over the rest of the remaining season.

 

		St. John's
		B. Mulgrew
C. Gannon		N. Convery	D. McAllister
A. Douglas		K. Rafferty	C. Clarke
		J. Hand K. McGlinchey
C. McKnight		F. Collins	C. Thompson
L. Boyle		G. McFall	D. Reynolds
(Subs: N. McCallin for K. Rafferty, N. Kelly for C. Gannon, J. McCallin for D. Reynolds, S. Thompson for J. Hand)