Injury Time Exit for Luckless Rec

Comber Rec’s recent run of success has been predicated on consistency of team selection and player availability, so when supporters who had made the long trip north to wet and windy Portstewart on Saturday for an Irish Cup game discovered that three key players were missing from the line-up, they were inevitably reminded of the bleak opening to this season’s programme when absences and changes were the order of the day.

Things were not just so bad on Saturday, of course, but with team captain Jim McCloskey out through illness, last week’s star player Gareth Larmour unavailable through work commitments, and Gordon Leckey once more missing through injury, the team was clearly not at full strength. The return of Chris Nicholl was a bonus, but it was the absence of Leckey that hurt most. The strength and power of the big front man would have been ideal in the heavy conditions, and some of the burden would have been taken off the overworked Craig McCracken. As it was, Rec turned in a plucky and full-hearted performance, and were decidedly unfortunate to lose their one goal lead with less than ten minutes to play, and then succumb to a last minute goal deep into injury time. Their cause was not helped by a referee who was all at sea for much of the match and made a series of decisions that defied understanding.

Rec kicked off facing into a gusting downfield wind. The first effort on target was a Whiteside free kick that Brian Burgess took confidently, but the first real hint of danger came at the other end when Portstewart keeper McGrain was out just in time to deny the run through of Adam Welsh. Young Welsh put in a creditable display, and is definitely one for the future, but Saturday’s conditions and very heavy pitch were not ideal for his ball-playing and passing skills.
Rec not only wasted a corner kick minutes later by playing it short and losing possession, but they created danger in their own goalmouth when a long ball out reached Thompson who fortunately shot wide. This insistence on short corner kicks that repeatedly break down is a tactic that produces nothing but frustration.
Gifted midfielder Marty Robinson slid a lovely ball through in the tenth minute to give Brent Reid a crack at goal, but McGrain held it comfortably.
At the Rec end a corner from the left reached Moffett at the back post, and his header back across goal caused some threat in the box until a free kick was awarded for a foul on Peter Kelly.
Midway through the half the tireless McCracken lost his marker beautifully and fired in a low shot that McGrain did well to grab at the base of his right post.
On the half hour Robinson went close with a curling free kick from the edge of the area, and three minutes later he went even closer when he collected a square pass from a lovely McCracken run and struck a 30 yarder just outside the keeper’s left upright.

A piece of refereeing madness was the main talking point of the half. A Portstewart player clearly headbutted Ross Hegan in the face, and the official’s response was to book Ross Hegan. This incident soured the atmosphere of the match, and had far-reaching consequences later in the game, because Hegan was substituted in the second half and the strength of the Comber midfield was thereby seriously compromised. Just before the interval Nicholl pushed through from the back and got in a shot, but the home keeper was well positioned and made the save. With the gale at their backs Rec should have had an advantage in the second period, but as is so often the case, it had no noticeable effect.

A first time Tim Ritchie cross ball with five minutes gone needed just a touch, but Rec really needed somebody tall and strong in the box to take advantage of this kind of centre, or the lay-offs by McCracken.
Exactly on the hour Portstewart created their best attacking move when the player who should have been redcarded for the headbutt incident drove in a fierce strike on target, but Burgess pulled off a great stop and parried it away for Hegan to clear.
At the home end McGrain had to be sharp to punch away a wicked Ritchie in-swinging corner, and then Robinson made himself space a few minutes later to shoot just a couple of yards wide.
With half an hour gone Rec went ahead with a goal that must be favourite to date for the goal of the season. Comber had been exerting some powder puff pressure on the home defence, but without anything to test the keeper, but when a clearance reached Keith Dougherty 35 yards out he instantly rocketed an absolute screamer of a shot straight back over everyone and past the helpless McGrain into the net. It was a strike that would have won a BBC Goal of the Month competition.
The withdrawal of Hegan had weakened the Rec midfield, and Portstewart were starting to probe and forage, especially down the left side. Burgess took a Moffett free kick nicely, and then an effort by substitute Rushe went perilously close, bur with only 6 minutes of normal time left it seemed that Rec would hold out.
A corner from the left changed all that. The ball was only half cleared, and Moffett met it on the line of the area and battered it back into the net, giving Burgess no chance.
Rec went looking to regain the lead, but lacked the power to put shots on goal, and in the fourth minute of injury time, with almost the last action of the game, they went behind to a very well taken goal. McAllister got clear down the left and whipped over a first class centre that Rushe headed perfectly just under the crossbar for the winner.
Both sides seemed relieved that the prospect of extra time had been avoided, although Rec were understandably disappointed to have lost so late in the game.
Taken in proper perspective, this defeat may well be a blessing in disguise. Amateur teams don’t seriously believe they can achieve much more in the Irish Cup than a big money-spinning meeting with one of the top Premier sides in the 5th or 6th round. Much more likely to be acquired are injuries or suspensions that will have grave consequences for their league progress.
Saturday’s game threw into high relief a more urgent matter for Comber Rec. If, as seems likely on the evidence so far, Gordon Leckey’s season is going to be punctuated with injuries, then Rec urgently need a striker up front to partner Craig McCracken and feed off the team’s midfield creative approach work. Too often in Saturday’s game when the ball did reach the last third there was nobody tall enough or strong enough in the area to test the keeper. With more weather conditions like those on Saturday all too likely in the weeks ahead, and more heavy playing surfaces,   games will undoubtedly become more physical, and players capable of meeting that challenge will come into their own.