Dergview FC get back in action with five-star performance
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Dergview 5, Knockbreda 1. DERGVIEW FC showed few signs of rustiness in front of goal on Wednesday night in testing conditions at Mill Meadow, Castledawson, during their 5-1 victory over Knockbreda in the fourth round of the JJB Sports Irish Cup.
Despite not having played since their Irn-Bru League Cup quarter-final defeat to Ballymena United on November 16, Harry McConkey's men showed a clinical edge against their IFA Championship Two opposition, scoring five times from five of their six shots on target during the entire game, thanks to a Duwayne McManus brace and goals apiece from Nathan Cashel, Warner Mullen and Aaron Walsh.
Their victory over Knockbreda sets them up for a tough home clash against Amateur League high-flyers, Derriaghy CC, on January 14 in the fifth round of the prestigious competition.
The game kicked off with a blanket of rain being blown down the pitch by strong winds, and with Knockbreda having the gusts at their backs, they pushed forward early on.
Miguel Chines fired a 25 yard free-kick over Stefan McCusker's bar in only the second minute and midfield dynamo, Stephen Garrett, was crowded out in the Dergview box five minutes later, after winning possession from Garbh Gallagher.
Having weathered the storm for the first 10 minutes, the Castlederg-based outfit grew into the game, but facing such a strong wind they struggled to gain ground in the final third of the pitch.
However, a minute after Chines fired straight at McCusker, Dergview left-back, John Carlin, broke forward and delivered an inch-perfect pass, dissecting the Knockbreda defence, for Cashel to ghost into the box, before tucking the ball under Paul Mateer, to give his side a 29th minute lead with their first shot of the game.
Things improved further for McConkey's men two minutes later when Mullen dispatched a stunning first-time volley from 12 yards, after Knockbreda failed to deal with McManus's inswinging corner-kick.
Disallowed
Dergview had a goal disallowed in the 40th minute when Ryan Campbell scored from an offside position, following good build-up play from Liam McMenamin and Cashel.
They did not have long to wait for their third goal, however, as substitute, Walsh centred the ball from the left for McManus to pounce from six yards.
The conditions improved slightly in the second half, but the game was all but over at that stage. Mullen should have made it 4-0 in the 49th minute when gifted a chance by Knockbreda centre- half, Jim McMenamin, who miss-controlled Mateer's hanging clearance kick, but the striker shot tamely at the keeper.
With both sides lacking cohesion throughout the second half, chances were few and far between, with Knockbreda going close through long-range efforts from Garrett and Jordan Clarke, while Campbell fired just over with an audacious first time volley from 25 yards.
The result was put beyond doubt in the 76th minute when McManus dispatched a delightful 25 yard free-kick, and although Chines pulled one back with a similar effort nine minutes later, there was no way back for the men from Belfast.
Walsh rounded off the game in fine style with an impressive lob from 22 yards with the outside of his right foot, after collecting a Campbell pass.
Dergview: S McCusker; G Porter (B Burns, 69); J Carlin; L McMenamin; G Gallagher (cpt); D McManus; A Arkinson; N Cashel (H Carlin, 46); W Mullen; R Campbell and S Campbell (A Walsh, 20). Subs not used: A Buchanan and D Maxwell.
Knockbreda: P Mateer; S Curley; T Burns; J Burns (cpt); J McMenamin; S Garrett; J Clarke (C McCracken, 58); C Watters; M Chines; J Wright (G Johnston, 73); P Young (J Foster, 58). Sub not used: C Corry.
Referee: P McFadden, Londonderry.
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