Match Photos: to follow

Saturday 19th December 2009 - Ladbrokes.com Championship 1

Subs: 12.Keith Armstrong, 14.Darren Munster, 15.David Officer, 16.Gareth Curlett 17.Ronnie Burns

Coagh United: Kempton, Baird, Thornton, Calderwood, Hawe, Berry, Gardiner, Reid, McCordick, Lamont, S.Dallas. Subs: Allen, M.Dallas, Ferguson, Cowden.

Comrades substitutions

Stuart McCullough (59')

Gareth Curlett (59')

Johnny Gowdy (70')

Keith Armstrong (70')

Ricky Moore (83')

Ronnie Burns (83')

Goals

Simon McGowan o.g. (8')

Stuart Dallas (37')

Andy Forsythe (39')

Scott McCordick (46')

Mark McClelland (59')

Andy Simms (67')

Stuart Lamont (80')

Stuart Lamont (89')

Comrades cards

Andy Forsythe (15')

Comrades man of the match

Andy Simms

Comrades’ run of eight undefeated matches ended on a bitterly cold afternoon at Coagh, in an eventful game where defensive errors cost them dearly.

Gordon Chambers was forced to make a change to his starting line-up for this match, with Scott Irvine having picked up an injury against PSNI the previous Saturday. Into the side on the right side of midfield came Johnny Gowdy.

Comrades started the brighter side and created a couple of early chances. In the 5th minute Andy Simms got to the by-line on the left and sent in a superb ball to the back post, where Mark McClelland arrived to connect with a first-time effort, but Coagh keeper Kempton was well placed to save.

Two minutes later and a low ball played in from the right by Johnny Gowdy found Ricky Moore 6 yards out, but Kempton gave him little time before blocking his effort.

The home side had been penned back in their own half for the opening minutes, but they scored in their first real attack on 8 minutes. A corner was rather unnecessarily conceded by the usually dependable Allen Huxley and from it the ball flicked off the head of Simon McGowan at the front post and looped into the net off the back post for a rather unfortunate own goal.

Coagh were buoyed by this goal against the run of play and from then on looked very threatening, particularly on the break against a rather stretched looking Comrades defence.

It was pretty much end to end stuff and Comrades still looked very dangerous going forward, particularly as they now had Andy Forsythe pushed forward to an influential midfield position. On 22 minutes Andy Simms, who was to be very threatening with set-pieces all match, sent a 22 yard free-kick just wide of the post. Then, three minute later, after Coagh had failed to clear a corner, Johnny Gowdy fired the ball back into the penalty area where it was headed across the 6-yard box by Ricky Moore and then met by a header from Andy Forsythe 5 yards out, which was tipped over the bar by Kempton.

The home side, however, probably should have increased their lead on 26 minutes, when after a swift break up-field Stuart Dallas made space for himself on the left side of the box, but his resulting shot from 12 yards went wide of the far post.

Comrades’ defence was looking hesitant and discomforted by the movement of the pacy Coagh strikers. On 32 minutes Lamont eluded a couple of challenges on the left of the box and struck a shot cum pass, which had to be cleared from in front of goal by Stuart McCullough, with another Coagh striker lurking to pounce.

The all action first half continued with a Comrades chance a minute later, when a move involving Ricky Moore and Simon McGowan set Mark McClelland down the right side of the box, but his shot across goal from 12 yards went wide off the far post.

McClelland was increasingly giving the home defence problems and on 36 minutes a ball in from the right by Sam McWilliams found him in the box, where he turned and shot from 14 yards just wide of the target.

On 37 minutes Comrades fell two behind. A long high ball down the middle gave Stuart McCullough problems and his loose header only fell to Stuart Dallas, who took advantage by shooting low past Allen Huxley from 11 yards.

Two minutes later, however, Comrades were deservedly right-back in contention as they pulled a goal back. Ricky Moore fired a ball in from the left of the area towards the 6-yard box at waist height and it was met by a brave and powerful diving header by Andy Forsythe, which flew past the keeper.

Having worked hard to pull a goal back, Comrades could easily have fallen two behind again before half-time. On 41 minutes, the elusive Stuart Dallas broke through two rather weak tackles on the right edge of the box and shot low just wide of the far post from 13 yards. Then, in the 44th minute, McCordick was unfortunate to see a shot hit from a central area, just inside the box, cannon off the base of the post and out across the goal-line.

It had been all action in the first half and it was to be even more action-packed in the second period, which got off to the worst possible start for Comrades, when McCordick struck a brilliant 25 yards effort, less than a minute in, which dipped into the bottom corner of the net past the despairing dive of Allen Huxley.

Three minutes later Comrades had a good chance to reduce the deficit when Simon McGowan set Ricky Moore free one-on –one with the keeper, but the Comrades striker rather hit his shot at Kempton as he came out to block and the chance was gone.

Comrades were now on the front foot, looking far from despairing at the two goal deficit. However, they were glad to see a McCordick shot from 14 yards go just wide on 50 minutes.

Comrades definitely looked capable of getting back into the game. On 58 minutes, Andy Forsythe hit a well struck shot from 20 yards, but Kempton was well placed to save comfortably. However, a minute later the Coagh keeper could do nothing when Forsythe slipped a perfect ball through to Mark McClelland and the big striker rounded the keeper and slotted the ball home very coolly.

The impetus was now with the visitors and it was no real surprise when they drew level on 67 minutes. Sam McWilliams was brought down just outside the right corner of the box, as he drove forward. Andy Simms stepped up to take the free-kick and, with everyone expecting a cross aimed at someone getting ahead to it, he whipped in a perfect effort which went straight in just inside the far post.

Comrades were now on top and for a period looked well capable of winning the game. They came very close to taking the lead on 72 minutes. Substitute Keith Armstrong was brought down in a position almost identical to where Andy Simms had scored earlier. Simms again stepped up and almost replicated his goal, however this time his effort came off the inside of the post and out across goal. Even then Comrades might have scored from the loose ball, when it was met by Ricky Moore, but his close range effort went into the side netting.

On 77 minutes Moore played a good ball to set Mark McClelland free down the left side of the box and he in turn did well to cut the ball back to Andy Simms, who was arriving around the penalty spot. However, Simms’ effort on the stretch was skewed wide of the goal.

Although Comrades had been on top for much of the second half, they were to be undone by defensive slackness. In the 80th minute the home side regained the lead when a rare mistake by Andy Long allowed Coagh to feed the ball to the right side of the box and then play it across the box where Lamont scored at the second attempt, his first effort having been blocked on the line by Long.

Even then Comrades came agonisingly close to levelling the score again two minutes later, when Andy Simms again struck a great free-kick, this time in a more central position 22 yard from goal, only to see his effort hit the cross bar.

Comrades continued to press men forward in an attempt to salvage what would have been a deserved point, but it was always likely to leave them exposed at the back, and on 89 minutes Coagh took advantage when Gardiner was allowed too much time to run at the defence and then play in Lamont to score with ease from 8 yards.

The spirited Comrades resistance had now been broken in a thrilling game, which could so easily have gone the other way.

The Comrades management team will be disappointed by the side’s defending, which cost it dearly in this match, undoing a very positive attacking display. However, there is certainly nothing wrong with the spirit of the side, which stormed back from two goals down to look very capable of winning the game at one stage.