Tuesday 13th April 2010 - Ladbrokes.com Championship 1

Ballyclare Comrades team

Subs: 12.Steve Bainbridge, 14.Marty McAvoy, 15.Gareth Curlett, 16.Stevie McDowell, 17.Ronnie Burns

Comrades substitutions

Neil McGrath ( 59')

Gareth Curlett (59')

Andy Simms (68')

Ronnie Burns (68')

Davy Officer (83')

Stevie McDowell (83')

Goals

Stephen McAlorum (22')

Comrades cards

Andy Forsythe (88')

Sam McWilliams (90+1')

Ronnie Burns (90+2')

Comrades man of the match

Being voted for on the Ballyclare Comrades Forum at irishleaguesupporters.com

Comrades fell to a narrow defeat against promotion challengers Donegal Celtic at Dixon Park, but a spirited second half performance gave home fans some cause for satisfaction at the end of the game.

Gordon Chambers made changes to his side for this match. They lined up in 5-4-1 formation, with David Officer coming into the starting eleven in place of striker Ronnie Burns. There were also changes in defence; with Stuart McCullough unavailable and Gareth Curlett dropped to the bench, into the side came Sam McWilliams and Neil McGrath, who was making his first competitive start. Andy Long moved to centre-back.

Playing for the first-time in front of the completed impressive new spectator facilities, Comrades were soon put on the back foot by an imposing first half display from the visitors.

The home side had to concentrate on defending as they were pressed back by a relentless wave of Celtic attacks. Comrades were defending manfully, with forward-minded players also taking responsibility to track back and help out. However, a breakthrough by the visitors did seem inevitable and it came eventually in the 22nd minute when a fine low cross in from the right from McVeigh was converted by a sweet first-time strike from 8 yards by McAlorum, who fired the ball low into the corner of the net, past the despairing dive of Allen Huxley.

Celtic did not relent, having taken the lead, and continued to press Comrades back. The home side’s efforts to mount any sort of attacking threat themselves fizzled out very quickly before they got close to the opposition goal, with lone striker Mark McClelland an isolated figure, as his midfield colleagues had to concentrate on stopping Celtic attacks.

The visitors had a good effort in the 26th minute, when Gargin picked up a loose ball, after Stuart Galbraith had been disposed at the edge of the Comrades box, and hit a crisp shot, which went narrowly wide of the target from 15 yards.

Some of Comrades defending was of the desperate variety at this stage and a number of free-kicks were conceded in dangerous positions. From one such Celtic almost manufactured a second goal, as the ball was crossed into the Comrades box to the far post area, where O’Neill arrived to head inches wide of the post from 4 yards.

Comrades had another escape in the closing moments of the half when Watson hit a fine low shot from 16 yards, which flew into the side netting.

The home side would have been glad to see half-time and relieved that they were going in only one goal behind. However, the early stages of the second half give little sign that there would be any respite from the Celtic dominance. In the 47th minute the ball broke through to Gargin in the Comrades box and he fired a shot goalwards, which Allen Huxley was forced to save low on his line. Then, on the hour, Huxley was again forced into action saving a strike from 13 yards from McAlorum.

As the half progressed, however, Comrades began to get more of the ball and impose themselves on the match. Indeed, from around the hour mark they put Celtic under a fair degree of pressure, forcing them to defend in numbers.

Comrades were now winning the 50/50 balls and finding more space to mount attacks. Getting a clear cut chance, however, was to prove difficult, with the ball not breaking to Comrades players at the vital times. A prime example of this was on 62 minutes when a dangerously flighted corner, played into the box by Andy Simms, eluded a touch by a Comrades player, which would surely have brought a goal.

At the other end Celtic were much quieter than had been the case in the first half. However, they still posed a threat at times, with Comrades committing more men to attacking duties. On 79 minutes the ball was played through to Adamczyk, in a dangerous position in the penalty area, and he was only denied by a fine block from the ever alert Allen Huxley.

Comrades, to their credit, continued to press on to the end of the game, in an effort to salvage a point, but the Celtic defence, although stretched on occasions, held firm and the game ended with the visiting fans happy that their side had got a vital win.

Although Comrades emerged from the game with nothing in terms of points, there was much encouragement to be had from a much improved second half display against a very strong Donegal Celtic side. Although the visitors deserved the win on their supremely dominant first half performance, Comrades gave them a real test in the second half and made them really work for their points.