North West Premier Division
The bad run for Draperstown’s reserves continued. With heavy defeats in their last two league encounters, there was at least a much better performance this time around for Draperstown.
The side Draperstown faced had previously won the reverse fixture by the same margin they did this time. A well contested match was marred with a flurry of cards handed out from the referee. The first incident of the game came after approximately 20 seconds. A late challenge by the BBOB winger on the returning Murchan surely should have resulted in at least a yellow card. However, going unpunished set the precedent for the game where a number of challenges didn’t receive the required punishment. This again eventually led to frustration for both sets of players.
The first twenty minutes saw both sides playing decent football without managing to test either keeper. This however ended after twenty five minutes when a slack goal was concededs by the home side. Coming down the left side, BBOB played a neat one-two resulting in a good finish just inside the box past the unlucky McGuigan in nets. Draperstown will be unhappy with the manner of the goal with the goalscorer not being tracked back by the Draperstown midfielder.
Feeling aggrieved that they had conceded a sloppy goal, the home side pressed for an equaliser. A tactical switch by McKee saw Murchan and Kelly exchange roles down the right hand side. This paid almost instant dividends with Murchan doing good work down the right, near the penalty area, holding off the opposition defender, allowing the midfield to break in support. He eventually released the ball to the oncoming Murray, who was felled rashly by the centre half inside the penalty area.
The resulting penalty was coolly dispatched by Martin McGuigan, sending the ball to the opposite corner to the goalkeepers dive. Following the equaliser, there was only one side in it for the final ten minutes of the opening half. Heavy pressure from all angles couldn’t be converted into a goal. Despite this, Draperstown could ultimately be pleased with their first half performance.
Unfortunately, the first half began in the same vein as the first, with both teams meandering, finding their feet for the first fifteen minutes. Coming from a Draperstown free kick deep inside their own half, possession was lost easily. A large gap in the centre of their defence was exposed all too easily by the BBOB right midfielder who dispatched the chance well past the again hapless McGuigan.
Back to square one, Draperstown again battled to find the equaliser. It was all one way traffic, but in the same all as the conclusion of the first half, none could be found. A number of chances were created which Draperstown will be disappointed they couldn’t convert. Late on, midfielder Kelly, frustrated at being seemingly clearly fouled, but receiving no free from the referee, petulantly swiped out at the opposition. This resulted in a red card, and summed up a disappointing end result. Draperstown need to start picking up points very quickly, or risk being embroiled in a difficult struggle at the wrong end of the table.
