Men’s seconds just shade it over Service seconds

North Down seconds entertained near neighbours Civil Service seconds at Comber Leisure Centre last Saturday in a Junior Two game played throughout in teeming rain.

Down to the bare bones due to injuries, the less athletic men of the team were relying on the young lads and they really stepped up. James Shields and Scott Graham picking the ball up in midfield doing a staggering amount of running, leaving the Service midfielders in their wake, literally, it was wet and a bow wave was the best plan to get the ball forward. North Down failed to make any of the pressure tell and found themselves a goal behind at the end of the first quarter.

A reassuring team talk at the break had the North Down men ready to break down walls and endless other buzzwords had the young lads confused if they were playing well or needed to give the game up. It all worked as the sodden North Down team scored two in quick succession. Firstly, Peter Shields who was expertly picked out by Mark Shannon scored with ease and then, with time running out, North Down won their third corner of the game. Shannon beat the first two runners and again cleverly picked out Mark Linter at the back post who finished with poise for his first goal in eleven years.  The veteran defender celebrated like every inch the man who isn’t allowed in the opposition circle often. The visitors piled on the pressure towards the end but the home defence held out with Marc Bennett making some unbelievable saves and Paul Beaney standing firm at the back keeping the Comber boys in the game and leaving the final score North Down seconds 2 Civil Service seconds 1.

Burch Autos Player of the Match was Peter Shields.