Agony for Rock as Boyne edge basement battle
BOYNE HARPS 4 ROCK CELTIC 3
BOYNE gained the badly needed points in this see saw bottom of the table encounter on Thursday night.
The sides, who both held the title in the recent past, had failed to open their account with three games under their belt, and like Kingscourt with only one game played were pointless.
So the win was a relief for Boyne, but only increased the apprehension for the Seasiders whose morale is in need of a lift soon with results if not altogether the level of performances having to improve if they are to pull away from their perilous position.
They twice led only to surrender a winning opportunity by conceding twice in the closing stages. They were denied the chance of salvaging at least a point with the referee failing to award what the visitors felt was a cast iron penalty for a foul on David Ward in the Boyne penalty box, and to compound matters they claimed there was also a handball in the same incident.
Derek Delany was restored to his normal role with the return of Ed Maguire and the awaited comeback to the Rock colours of Shaun Callan in midfield. The striker shot them ahead from the penalty spot in the opening minutes.
However, they didn’t hold the lead long, as Boyne sprung their offside trap to equalise and did it again later to go in ahead at the interval. Typical of Rock’s ill luck Delany twice struck the crossbar.
Still they managed to draw level, with David Ward grabbing their second goal, and Callan marked his comeback by shooting them in front with a fine strike from outside the Boyne penalty area.
However, he shortly after had to retire injured and the Seasiders missed his influence as Boyne secured the points with two long range strikes. ROCK: Fergal Sheeky, Paddy Reilly, Ferghal McDonald, Shane O’Callaghan, Garry Lennon (Dessie McKeown), Shaun Callan (Jamie McCaul), Ed Maguire, Liam Keenan (Brendan Rogers), Paddy O’Connor (Chris Berrills), David Ward, Derek Delany.