League Leaders Lose Out at Park Way

In a curiously low-key but yet always interesting encounter at Park Way on Saturday, Comber Rec did themselves and other championship chasers a favour by taking full points from a Dunmurry Rec side that showed its table-topping qualities only in spasms. Comber played well below their best, but took two of the handful of chances they created, and although the Duns scraped a last minute consolation goal, the home team were just about worthy of the win.
Duns kicked off but found themselves in danger as early as the 3rd minute when Marty Robinson picked up a loose ball just outside the area and fired in a good effort that cleared the crossbar by a yard.
That proved to be Rec’s only attacking move for some time as Duns went on the offensive, helped by a Rec defence that too often wanted an extra touch and found their delayed clearances blocked. With Fenton looking tricky up front, and continued hesitation at the back on the part of a couple of home defenders, the steadiness and experience of Brian Burgess in goal were key ingredients in keeping the scoresheet blank.
In the 12th minute Burgess flung himself down to his left to parry a low McCleave drive, and then on the quarter hour Dunmurry did put the ball in the net with a looping header from a free kick, but the whistle had already gone for an infringement in the area.
Against the run of play Comber took the lead in the 18th minute with a free kick from 20 yards. Robinson dummied the kick, and Jim McCloskey struck a perfect shot past the wall and low into the left corner of the net. The goal was in fact Rec’s first shot on target, and came as a very welcome surprise to the home fans.
Duns seemed dismayed by this reverse and lost much of their early aggression, and with Comber offering little too, the middle section of the half was oddly lukewarm from two teams battling for league supremacy.
With half an hour played, Neil Magowan, arguably the best player on the park, placed a fine free kick into the Dunmurry goalmouth, but Ross Hagen got below it and his header flew well over.
Walsh saw a 30 yard snapshot beat the Comber crossbar by a foot at the other end, but the best opening fell to Comber 7 minutes from the interval. A lovely Hagen through pass found Kevin Monson in front of goal, but he couldn’t control it and the chance was lost.
Two minutes later Monson had another chance from the edge of the area and was unlucky to see his half volley zip just outside keeper Gibson’s left upright. Rec had another good opening just before the break when Adam Welsh was beautifully put through by McCloskey, but the young striker’s ground shot lacked power and was easily taken by the keeper.
Just minutes into the second half McCloskey went off with a knee injury and was replaced by Chris Nicholl.
Dunmurry at this stage looked anything but league leaders, apparently having relinquished midfield territory without a fight.
Monson broke free on the left in the 53rd minute and turned nicely inside his marker, but his shot was half hit and gave Gibson no trouble.
Exactly on the hour Duns had a clear opportunity to draw level when a superb centre from the left sideline gave Walsh a free header from 10 yards in front of goal, but he put it wildly over.
Burgess took a wicked in-swinging corner from the right with clean assurance, and Gordon Leckey came on to replace Monson, but there was little else worthy of note in the first half of the second period.
In the 70th minute Comber went further ahead with a fine goal. Another delightful Hagen through ball down the middle was followed up by Welsh who showed an experience that belied his age with a sweet lob over the advancing keeper into the empty net.
The remainder of the half belonged to Duns, who suddenly seemed stung into retaliation and went looking for goals. Gregg blasted over the top from a good opening in the 75th minute, and 5 minutes later Burgess dived to his left to fingertip a neat header onto his left post and past for a corner, which wasn’t given.
All the pressure was now on the home defence, which held out confidently until the dying minutes when a protracted scramble in the box ended with the ball somehow bundled untidily into the net to give a final 2-1 scoreline.
What should have been a fiercely contested battle between two leading contenders turned out to be a relatively tame match that came to life only sporadically. Both teams seemed to lack real fire, with very little vocal exhortation or encouragement among the players, but for Comber the two goals were perfectly put away. They have often played better, created more, controlled everything, and earned nothing, so Saturday’s victory was all the sweeter against a team that was lucky to beat them in their previous meeting.
A word of commendation must go to referee Sam Gilmore who turned in an exemplary display without fuss or ostentation.