Mens firsts cruise to Irish Trophy win!
Newry put aside their disappointment at having to postpone the previous weeks Premier League fixture citing Covid infections and were entertained at Comber Leisure Centre last Saturday in the first round of the Irish Trophy. North Down ran out comfortable winners by 4-2.
North Down got the perfect start when Harry Templeton played a perfect pass to Josh Gilmore who made ground before crossing for Jamie Spratt to score his first North Down goal in the third minute. A dangerous overhead pass from Newry was well cleared by Andy Boyd before the North Down defence failed to retreat and Newry were awarded a short corner which was easily saved by keeper Darren Rodgers.
Schoolboy Andrew Welsh making his debut made a strong run down the right and crossed for Harry Templeton to scramble home a second goal in the tenth minute. North Down were well on top but Newry kept pushing forward and Rodgers had to be on his toes to firstly clear a dangerous cross and then a penalty corner.
At the start of the second quarter Spratt won a corner but Gilmore’s effort was saved. It was Ross Blair’s turn to win a corner but again the routine failed. Phil Templeton received the ball deep in his own half and played a superb overhead pass to Welsh who crossed for Gareth Bailie but the ball was scrambled clear. However, North Down then won a free and Gilmore crossed for Bailie to score just before the half time break to make it comfortable for the hosts.
Early in the third quarter a quick North Down free hit a defender’s foot and Phil Templeton dispatched the resulting corner into the net. A good run by player of the match Connor Tweedie resulted in another corner for the home side but the keeper made a good save. North Down took the foot of the pedal and a lack of concentration allowed McWilliams in to reduce the arrears with a strong shot.
The final quarter had few moments of excitement as North Down tried to run down the clock but it was Newry who won a corner and Taylor scored at the second attempt. In the final minutes Bailie had a goal disallowed for an earlier infringement but in the end it was a comfortable victory for North Down however they must ensure that they maintain their concentration for the full 70 minutes otherwise teams could punish them.
North Down’s Premier League fixture this Saturday away to Mossley has already been postponed due to an outbreak of Covid in the Mossley squad. Best wishes to all those involved at Mossley for a speedy recovery!
Burch Autos Man of the Match: Connor Tweedie
