Killyleagh See Red as Rec Stroll to Victory

Anyone not at Saturday’s match at The Showgrounds who heard that Killyleagh were reduced to nine men in their 2-0 home defeat to Comber Rec would reasonably assume that it had been a bad-tempered, explosive encounter, but although there was the customary commitment between these two old rivals, it was by no means a bruising battle full of ugly incident. Aside from the two sending-off incidents, there was very little unpleasantness among the players, and most of the hostility came from the home crowd in the direction of the referee. As for the game itself, even the most ardent Killyleagh supporter would concede that it was a one-sided contest, with Comber almost totally in control throughout and fully deserving of their 2-0 win.
Marty Robinson was back in the Rec line-up and it was he who showed first in attack in the 5th minute with an opportunist 20 yard chip that was high and wide, but that proved to be the beginning of a series of Comber offensives on the home goal.
Two minutes later the woodwork got in the way of the opening goal. Kevin Monson sent over a deep cross from the right and Gareth Larmour’s strong header crashed back off the crossbar, with keeper Fox an onlooker.
Killyleagh were being outplayed in midfield, but in the 10th minute they were awarded a free kick which was played short, and the resultant strike was only a yard wide. Amazingly that proved to be the home side’s only first half effort on goal, so strong was the Comber stranglehold at the back and in midfield.
Rec had a great chance to go in front in the 13th minute from a sweet Neil Magowan centre into the box, but Ross Hagen got below it and his header flew well over the top.
Suddenly the game was all about Rec going forward. Monson screwed a header past from a Keith Dougherty cross, and then the visitors forced four corners in succession, which the home defence did well to clear. An indication of Rec’s control of the first half is their nine corners to Killyleagh’s one.
Midway through the half a Jim McCloskey low centre from the right ran right across the front of goal, needing just a touch to put it home, and then Fox showed his worth in tipping over the bar a wickedly dipping Hagen 25 yard drive.
Rec were pushing hard for a goal, and in the 25th minute they seemed to have scored a beauty. A corner from the right was cleared out to Magowan, who from 30 yards fired back a superb volley low into the bottom right corner of the net. The jubilation of Rec players and supporters was abruptly terminated when the referee disallowed what looked like a perfectly good goal, adjudging that a Rec player in an offside position had inadvertently interfered with play by unsighting the goalkeeper. It was a big disappointment for Rec, but the players went on with the business of taking the game to the home side.
McCloskey nodded wide a Craig McCracken corner at the back post, and then McCloskey himself put over an exquisite delivery from yet another corner and saw it beat everyone in the crowded box.
With seven minutes left of the opening half the first of those red card incidents occurred. Gilgunn kicked out at Hagen off the ball right in front of the referee, who by the rules of the game had no option but to send him off. To his credit, the player acknowledged his guilt and compliantly accepted his departure, which makes the howls of protest from the Killyleagh line even more incomprehensible.
Just short of the interval Larmour struck a free kick that seemed to be going in just under the bar to the top left of the net, but Hagen’s head touched it over and the scoreline remained blank. Right on the half time whistle keeper Fox again showed his class in taking cleanly under pressure a dangerous Dougherty cross ball.
Nobody could even attempt to deny that Comber had totally dominated the first half of the game. Even though they had not taken a lead, it was as complete a performance as the manager and fans could have hoped for.
With only a minute gone of the second period the Rec defence made their first error of the match, and it could have been a costly one, but Brian Burgess came out quickly to claim the ball at the feet of a Killyleagh striker.
For a brief spell play became quite physical, with young Adam Welsh, a nuisance throughout the game to the home defence with his speed and harrying, coming in for most of the attention.
Right on the hour the second red card was shown, and once more the referee was obliged to make that decision. McCloskey and Fox were involved in a tussle in the goalmouth, and the goalkeeper blatantly clipped the Rec player on the head with his hand. The bewildering aspect of the incident was that the experienced Killyleagh player, who knows full well that to strike an opponent with your hand is a sending off offence, protested vociferously against the decision. McCracken took the resultant spot kick and blasted it home, in spite of a gallant effort by stand-in keeper Holland to reach it.
Rec had finally gone ahead, but it was unfortunate that it had to be in those circumstances, with Killyleagh down to nine players through actions that no referee could have ignored.
Holland did very well five minutes later. McCracken played a short free kick square and when Larmour drilled in a low grounder, the deputy keeper got down well to make the stop.
With half an hour gone of the second half Rec stretched their lead. A Robinson throw-in from the left to the near post was nodded on across goal, and Welsh headed home from a few yards.
Five minutes later it should have been 3-0. McCracken was put clean through but with only the keeper to beat he elected not to shoot and took the ball wide to his right, allowing two defenders time to get back, and one of them headed clear the final soft chip shot.
When Monson raised his foot to attempt to block a kick out by keeper Holland, the referee again acted promptly and correctly in booking the Comber player. Players know the rules and must expect the appropriate card when they break them.
Astonishingly, Killyleagh’s two best chances of the game came in the final minutes, both from Rec defensive antics and errors, and it was only through the maturity and goalkeeping experience of Burgess that they kept their clean sheet.
Fair-mindedness is a rare commodity in football, but those with only a hint of it will agree that on the day the better team by far won the game. The abuse and criticism levelled at referee Stewart after the game by a section of the home support suggests that for some even that hint is missing.