Disappointing defeat for depleted Strabane and Sion Swifts United
Thursday, 9 February 2012
SSSU 0. Newbuildings Utd 2.
A DEPLETED Strabane and Sion Swifts United (SSSU) suffered a disappointing 2-0 home reverse to Northern Ireland Intermediate League champions, Newbuildings United, at Melvin Arena on Saturday.
Brendan McColgan was without three first team starters, leaving him with no substitutes, and against a team of Newbuilding's calibre,
that left them facing an uphill task.
Despite a lack of numbers and with midfielders, Aaron Gillespie and Gary Houston, who was making his debut for the club and his first appearance on a pitch in four months, filling the full back berths, SSSU produced a resolute performance.
The home side matches their visitors in the first half and they were unlucky not to score with the influential Kevin Gallagher forcing the Newbuildings keeper into a smart save with a half-volley, before heading over from a corner kick.
The game was still deadlocked with 13 minutes to go, but at that stage SSSU's lack of numbers proved costly with Joe Breslin, Gillespie and Houston all suffering injuries, which left the home side to finish the game with only 10 men on the pitch.
In the end, Newbuilding's numerical superiority told and they capitalised on a fumble by home keeper, Dean Arnold, who lost a tooth to a stray elbow in the first half, to go one up and with five minutes left the killed the game off with a second.
Despite the result, McColgan was pleased by the performance from his depleted side, but he has asked certain players to show a better attitude and application.
This coming Saturday SSSU travel to Mountjoy United for another league game (kick-off 2pm).
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