Mens thirds shade Shield win over South Antrim
The mens thirds hosted South Antrim fourths in the second round of the Junior Shield on Saturday. With the Comber pitch just passing a late inspection for thawing frost, it was game on! Having recent success over the last number of weeks the thirds were in confident mood and with their opposition ifrom the league below, some may have under estimated the young side that turned up.
From the off, South Antrim passed sharply and kept possession impressively. It took North Down a short time to get on the ball properly with a number of wayward passes. They soon grew into the game and on 6 minutes Sam Pyper got a decisive deflection in front of the keeper from a trademark Andy McKee thunderbolt into the area to take the lead. This lifted the home side and on 10 minutes some excellent play down the left hand side from Stephen and McKee, found Pyper on the baseline who knocked it past his defender and squared past the advancing keeper to young James Webber to score his first goal for the thirds. 2-0 at the first break and all going according to plan.
Into the second quarter and the plan was far from executed. Passes became ambitious, first touches a let down and North Down’s game slowed. With youth on South Antrim’s side, this suited them down to the ground and they started to control more of the possession and create chances. North Down managed to see out the quarter without conceding and were 2-0 ahead at the first half break.
However the pattern continued into the third quarter and on 48 minutes South Antrim pulled one back with a well worked attack. North looked tired and leggy and possession was constantly given away. It was only a matter of time before they would concede again at this rate and South Antrim did not disappoint their travelling fans when they got the equaliser two minutes later. At this point the game could have gone either way, but this thirds side have responded when needed over the season and just when it looked like South Antrim had a firm grip on the game and pushed for the winner, the thirds stabilised the midfield with Scott Graham . He found Sam Brown out wide who arced round his defender along the baseline and pulled the perfect ball back to McKee who finished well past the keeper. The third quarter finished with North Down shading it 3-2.
It was nip and tuck in the final quarter with both sides having chances but North Down saw the time out for the victory and escaped into the next round.
Burch Autos Man of the Match was Andy McKee