Match photos: Graeme Bolton Photography

Saturday 4th July 2009 - Pre-season Friendly

Ballyclare Comrades team

Subs: 12.Stuart McCullough 14.Mark Drysdale 15.Mark Leckey  16.Mark Kidd  17.Gareth McKinney  18.Ricky Lecky

Substitutions

Sam McWilliams (46')

Gareth McKinney (46')

Gareth Curlett (46')

Mark Drysdale (46')

Stuart Galbraith (46')

Mark Kidd (46')

Andy Long (60')

Stuart McCullough (60')

Simon McGowan (60')

Mark Leckey (60')

Ronnie Burns (60')

Ricky Leckey (60')

Goals

Crusaders -  Ryan McCann (3')

Crusaders - Aaron Black (14')

Ballyclare Comrades - Mark McClelland (16')

Crusaders - Declan Caddell (56')

Crusaders - Martin Donnelly (61')

Crusaders - Dominic Melly (69')

Crusaders - Ryan Arthurs (74')

Ballyclare Comrades - Andy Simms (82')

Crusaders - Martin Donnelly (86') - pen

Comrades’ began their pre-season schedule with a game against Irish Cup winners Crusaders.

For Comrades the game was a chance look at a number of trialists, get some match fitness and match themselves against a high quality side, whilst Crusaders were using it to prepare for their forthcoming Europa League qualifying tie.

The match attracted a decent crowd on a warm but showery day and they were treated to some entertaining football and plenty of goals as the Crues turned on the style, eventually overrunning the home side which had put up game resistance in the first half.

With a number of familiar faces leaving in the summer and a few players unavailable due to holidays, it was a very different looking side which lined up for Comrades. New signings Keith Armstrong and Mark McClelland started and were to show up well during the match.

The game started with a moment of controversy only 20 second in, when Andy Simms was clearly felled in the box by a rash challenge from a Crusaders defender. Inexplicably the referee waved play on and a penalty was denied.

Three minutes later and Comrades were behind. Crusaders won a free-kick 22 yards from goal and McCann stepped up to fire the ball past Paddy Flood.

Crusaders were playing some lovely stuff and on 14 minutes they scored the goal of the game. A wonderful move involving several players, with sharp passing and movement, ended with Comrades defence cut open and Black slotting past the helpless Flood.

To their credit Comrades managed to stave off the threatened avalanche of goals for the rest of the half and indeed managed to pull one back on 16 minutes. Some nice work down the right involving Keith Armstrong and Sam McWilliams ended with McWilliams dinking in a teasing cross towards Mark McClelland who out-jumped two markers to head a well placed effort into the net from around the penalty spot.

A couple of minutes later Comrades might have got an equaliser when McClelland was inches away from getting his foot on a teasing low ball across the 6-yard box from Keith Armstrong.

The rests of the half was very competitive, with a lot of encouraging signs for Comrades, although Paddy Flood had to make a couple of very good saves to prevent the visitors increasing their lead.

The second half saw many substitutions for both sides, with Gordon Chambers introducing a number of young players. Inevitably the cohesion of the side was not as it had been in the first half and Crusaders, who had introduced subs including international squad member Martin Donnelly, began to run riot. They increased their lead on 56 minutes with a goal from Caddell. Then three more followed on 61, 69 and 74 from Donnelly, Melly and Arthurs, as Comrades increasingly were chasing shadows against a classy display by the Crues.

Despite being on the end of a hiding, Comrades spirit never waned and they managed to pull a goal back on 72 minutes, when a fine cross from the right by-line by Keith Armstrong caused panic in the box and the ball fell to Andy Simms, who slammed it home from 5 yards.

Four minutes from time, Crusaders restored their five goal advantage when they won a penalty which Donnelly duly converted.