Kelly Hat Trick the Only Highlight

Just two days after the bitter disappointment of their Border Cup final defeat, Comber Rec were back in cup football action again, this time on a more modest scale, with a home first round Clarence Cup encounter against Rathfriland Rangers. Rec had something to prove to themselves and to their supporters after Thursday’s below par performance against Abbey Villa, and they duly coasted to a 4-0 win. The match was a low key business, raised by a terrific hat trick by central defender Peter Kelly who illustrated to some of his shot-shy colleagues the value and dividends of putting in shots on target.
Rec were still missing through illness the commanding presence of Neil Magowan, and the popular view on the terraces was that had he been available earlier in the week, the silverware would now in all probability be residing in Park Way. Absent too, through injury, was the talented Gareth Larmour who has shown himself to be one of the best signings of recent years. Back at last, however, in the starting line-up was the out of favour Chris Nicholl who yet again turned in a performance that asks questions about his repeated failure to find automatic first team selection.
After the heavy rainfall the playing surface was soft on top but quite firm underneath and there were no serious effects for either side.
Right from the opening whistle it was clear that Rathfriland were much changed and improved from the very poor side that Rec had swept aside recently, but the ninety minutes were to prove once again that they had little or no punch in attack, as the final scoreline indicates.
A Jim McCloskey curling free kick after ten minutes reached Keith Dougherty at the back post, but his back header beat the post, but otherwise there was little action in either goalmouth.
On the quarter hour Craig McCracken was pulled back as he chased a through ball, but referee Davy Ross,  who had a fine game, was unsighted.
The visitors’ best moment of the half came midway with a smooth passing sequence that ended with a shot over the bar, but they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the home area for an infringement. The free was perfectly struck and was going in just under the bar, but Brian Burgess showed why he is still one of the best in the business with a fine fingertip touch over the top.
A few minutes later Brent Reid went off with a hamstring problem, and Craig Bowers came on to do a good job in the left back position.
The best action of the first half occurred on the half hour. McCloskey went on a sublime run down the right sideline, danced past his marker at the corner flag, and whipped over a great cross ball that just bounced awkwardly for Marty Robinson in the box.
Two minutes afterwards Robinson struck a superb curling 30 yarder that the visiting keeper did well to turn over his crossbar, and then at the other end Burgess judged to a nicety his run out to a through pass to deny an attacker rushing in.
Ten minutes from the break Rec went ahead. A strongly hit Robinson shot came back off the bar, and McCloskey from close range drove the rebound into the net.
Just three minutes later Rec doubled their advantage with a lovely goal. McCracken’s  corner from the left was met at the near post by Kelly who flicked a neat header inside the post to score the first of his three.
Rec were now in full control, and a McCracken shot was well parried by the keeper, but almost on the half time whistle Kelly put Rec 3-0 up with another fine goal, a 25 yard free kick that took a slight deflection and flashed past the keeper into the back of the net.
The second half was scrappy and undistinguished, with Rathfriland unable to make any impression against Hagen, Nicholl and Kelly, and the game as a contest well and truly resolved.
Gordon Leckey skied a half chance over early in the half, and then put a header on target from a McCloskey centre but it lacked the power to trouble the keeper.
Apart from a snapshot that went well wide, and a through ball that Burgess again came out to clear, Rathfriland offered nothing in attack, and with the replacement of Leckey and McCracken midway through the half, it seemed unlikely that Rec would add to their tally.
With half an hour gone of the second period a delightful McCloskey free kick from the left side came off the outside of the far post, with the keeper well beaten, and then a fine left foot centre by Adam Welsh presented Tim Ritchie with an opening in front of goal, but he misjudged his jump and could not make clean contact with the header.
With time running out Welsh again shone brightly with a first time left foot effort that zipped a yard wide, but right on the whistle Rec scored their fourth goal and again it came from the boot of Peter Kelly, a driven free kick that glanced off a defender into the back corner of the net.
This was a match that never rose to any great heights, especially with the aftertaste of Thursday’s defeat still affecting the atmosphere. There is still a marked reluctance on the part of some Rec players to do the simple thing and shoot first time from good scoring positions. The shoot on sight policy that won Abbey Villa the Border Cup should act as an example, as indeed should the Peter Kelly strikes that secured half of Saturday’s bag.