Saturday 24th April 2010 - Ladbrokes.com Championship 1

Ballyclare Comrades team

Subs: 12. Sam McWilliams, 14.Marty McAvoy, 15.Stevie McDowell, 16.Stevie Bainbridge, 17.Neil McGrath

Donegal Celtic: Brown, Heagney, Lambe, Hanna, Spence, McAlorum, Gargin, Duff, O'Neill, Watson, McVeigh. Subs - Adamczyk, Cleary, McAllister, Curran, McAreavey.

Comrades substitutions

Andy Simms (76')

Stevie McDowell (76')

Scott Irvine (82')

Marty McAvoy (82')

Darren Munster (88')

Stevie Bainbridge (88')

Goals

Paul McVeigh (58')

Comrades cards

Lee Rushe (15')

Ronnie Burns (55')

Davy Officer (66')

Comrades man of the match

Davy Officer

For the fourth time this season, Comrades fell to defeat by a single goal margin to promotion chasing Donegal Celtic, despite a determined and spirited display at Suffolk Road.

For this game, manager Gordon Chambers had a number of selection headaches, with regulars Andy Forsythe, Stuart Galbraith and Stuart McCullough all unavailable for different reasons. The centre of midfield was completely reshaped, with experienced Davy Officer lining up beside youngster Matt Boyd. In defence, Gareth Curlett filled in for McCullough at centre-back. Andy Long took the captain’s armband with Forsythe missing.

Comrades opened brightly, showing no inferiority complex against their high-flying opponents. However, the first chance of the game did fall to Celtic, when a cross from the left found Heagney at the back post area and his first-time strike flew across goal and narrowly wide of the post.

The visitors were certainly showing plenty of enterprise and it was far from the expected backs against the wall rearguard action that many might have been expecting. 

In the 8th minute Andy Simms whipped in a dangerous corner from the right to the near post, where it was met by a glancing header from Ronnie Burns 4 yards out, which fizzed narrowly over the bar.

Chances were few and far between, as the half progressed, with the much vaunted Celtic side resorting often to long balls to try to get a breakthrough. At the other end Comrades strikers worked very hard, but were well marshalled by a tough home defence.

Comrades looked increasingly comfortable, frustrating the home side, who created very little in the first period. There was a minor scare in the 23rd minute, when a header back to his keeper by Gareth Curlett fell short allowing O’Neill to nip in, but fortunately Allen Huxley managed to block quickly and the ball was hacked clear.

The only other effort of note from the home side came in the 32nd minute, from long distance, when a low 30 yard effort from McAlorum flew just wide of the post.

The half-time break seemed to make little difference to the pattern of play. Although Celtic had most of the attacking possession, they were getting little change from a resolute Comrades defence. At the other end, Comrades were also able to create a few half chances and kept the home side occupied.

In the 48th minute a neatly lay off by Ronnie Burns set Davy Office off on a surging run down the middle, but his eventual shot from 30 yards went wide of the target. Then, on 57 minutes, a deep cross from the right from Andy Simms found the head of Mark McClelland at the back post, but his effort, under challenge 6 yards out, went over the bar.

A minute later, however, Celtic struck what was to turn out to be the winner. A corner from the left was played into the box and the ball broke perfectly for McVeigh, who stabbed it home from 8 yards. He then made a fool of himself by running over to goad the Comrades fans, who had been giving their side good vocal support during the game.

Despite this setback, Comrades didn’t loose their concentration or their commitment and the game remained tight. In the 71st minute, they thought they had got an equaliser when a free-kick played into the box by Andy Simms, was headed low into the net by Darren Munster. However, the referee disallowed the effort, presumably for a push.

A minute later, in an unfortunate accidental incident Scott Irvine received a blow from a knee to the back of his head which rendered him unconscious. The game was stopped for several minutes as the stricken Comrades player was attended to and stretchered off, eventually leaving the ground in an ambulance.

The rest of the game was rather overshadowed by Irvine’s injury and there were few chances for either side.

On 89 minutes Ronnie Burns did well to hold off a challenge and get a shot in from 20 yards, but his effort went wide of the post. Then, six minutes into injury-time, Celtic might have got a flattering two goal margin of victory when Duff broke through one on one with the keeper as Comrades pressed forward for an equaliser, but he was denied by a superb block from Allen Huxley, who had rushed from his goal.

Comrades kept Celtic sweating right to the end and there was probably as much relief as anything in the home side’s celebrations at the final whistle.

This was a fine performance by Comrades against a team looking to be playing at Premiership level next season. However, with sides below Comrades picking up points in recent games, Gordon Chambers’ men will need to produce more displays like this before the season ends and hope for a few breaks in front of goal, which they haven’t had recently.