Burgess Saves Points for Goal-shy Rec

How can a team dominate inferior opposition and play excellent creative football, and yet depend upon a scrambled single goal and a last minute save by their keeper to secure a win? The answer was very clear at Monkstown on Saturday when a combination of ‘won’t shoot’ and ‘can’t shoot’ kept the outcome of Comber Rec’s game with Nortel in the balance right to the final whistle. It is no exaggeration to say that Rec had enough chances in the first half alone to have been comfortably four or five goals ahead, and the second period was very similar in the failure to put in a worthwhile effort on target from a series of opportunities that any other team would have gratefully finished. Significantly the best strike of the game came from Nortel, the Rec goal was yet again scored by midfielder Ross Hagen, and only a brilliant stop by Brian Burgess in the dying minutes prevented Comber from throwing away two valuable points.
Marty Robinson was not sufficiently recovered to play as Nortel kicked off on a pitch that was soft on top and cut up very easily. The opening exchanges were lively and of good standard, but Rec showed most of the threat in attack and opened up the home defence in the 8th minute. A delicate lay off by Adam Welsh put Gordon Leckey through on goal, but the sidefooted attempt, although well placed low to the keeper’s left, lacked strength and Malone was able to go full length to turn it away.
Rec seemed very much in command until the 10th minute when they had a real let-off. Dowds came in from the right side and let fly with a superb strike that cracked off the outside of the left upright from 20 yards. It was the kind of power shooting that Comber seemed unwilling or unable to replicate.
Leckey had another shot on target a minute later at the other end, but he hit it straight at Malone who was able to parry it fairly easily. Inside a minute Leckey turned provider with a nice nod down for Craig McCracken whose left foot drive spun a yard wide.
On the quarter hour Hegan worked hard under pressure to set up a square ball for McCracken outside the area, but he skied it well over.
Finn was fast and nippy up front for Nortel, but he lacked support and the combined attentions of Peter Kelly and Neil Magowan snuffed out any danger, but McCord should have done better in the 25th minute when the ball fell to him from a half tackle and he lofted high over the Comber crossbar.
Midway through the half Rec showed the weakness in front of goal that is their one current shortcoming. Leckey had a clear shooting chance inside the area but didn’t seem to trust his left foot and declined to shoot. The ball reached Jim McCloskey who also refused to shoot, and finally when it came to Tim Ritchie 20 yards out he drove it high over the top. A combination of unwillingness to shoot and an inability to keep the strike low produced nothing from three clear goalscoring opportunities.
On the half hour a Keith Dougherty throw in from the right bounced awkwardly for the Nortel defence and when it was half cleared to Kelly on the edge of the area he fired a left foot effort well wide of the far post.
Rec finally got the goal their dominance deserved in the 33rd minute. A signature McCloskey corner kick from the right caused confusion in the home defence and Hagen’s half- hit scissors kick deflected off a defender past Malone into the net. It was an untidy goal but a very welcome one on a day when it was clear that the old Rec problem of finding the net was biting deep.
A McCloskey free kick was just too high for Kelly, and as Rec continued the offensive McCloskey put himself in a great position with a run inside from the right, but his left foot shot was weakly struck straight to Malone.
Five minutes from the break delightful McCracken play lost his marker, but he blasted his shot well over.
Nortel were hardly in the game as a coordinated attacking force, but they had a great chance to draw level in the next minute when Young had a clear header from a right wing cross but placed it outside the left post from 5 yards.
McCracken was again nicely set up by Hagen in the 43rd minute but lofted the ball well over, and the half ended with a lovely Burgess take from a Faulkner free kick.
The first half had been a catalogue of openings and squandered opportunities, and the one goal lead was poor reward for sustained Comber possession and territorial advantage.
Welsh and Leckey showed well down the left at the start of the second period, but neither could get their cross over, but Welsh then showed why he is such an exciting prospect with a wonder run from his own half deep into the Nortel box. The final shot was sliced wide, but it was one of the best moments of the game.
On the hour Kelly did well to clear a tricky through ball as Nortel started to show more movement in attack.
A disappointing feature of Rec’s play was the quality of their throw-ins, with a succession of them wasted completely. How advantageous would have been the long dangerous throw-ins of Chris Nicholl, who predictably remained firmly ensconced on the subs’ bench.
Midway though the half Welsh volleyed a yard over, and Malone spilled a McCracken snapshot but scrambled it clear.
With half an hour gone McCracken had a clear sight of goal but drove wildly over after being set up by Leckey.
McCracken made amends with some dazzling footwork and a shot finally on target, but Malone parried it well at the expense of a corner.
With 5 minutes left on the watch the spectators were treated to another moment of Welsh brilliance when he slipped his marker, beat him for speed, and was just about to pull the trigger inside the box when he delayed for a second and was tackled.
Rec almost surrendered their victory in the final minute. A deep cross from the left side was played back across goal and Young had a point blank header right in front of goal but Burgess miraculously adjusted his position and took it cleanly on his line, a wonder save that guaranteed Comber the win their play deserved but their finishing certainly did not.
The frustration of Rec supporters on Saturday was palpable, after watching their team play really well, create enough clear chances to almost reach double figures, and scrape home by a solitary unconvincing one goal margin. Given the chances Rec had, much poorer teams would hammer the ball home without a thought, but the standard of Rec shooting is indefensible. There seems to be a lack of confidence in front of goal on the part of those who should be finishing off excellent forward moves. Apart from one second half McCracken shot, Rec did not produce a shot worthy of the name in the entire ninety minutes. A further problem derives from this poor finishing. Peter Kelly understandably grows impatient with his front men and comes up to do their job for them, leaving the defence vulnerable to a quick counter attack.
Without a lethal marksman or natural goalscorer, Rec must finish the openings they carve out by keeping their shots down and stiking with greater power.