Bull’s impressive show of strength

3 0

BLACK Bull took a major step towards Premier Division football next season - and perhaps even the Division 1 title - when accounting for fellow promotion contenders Ardee Celtic in Monasterboice on Friday night.

Pat Mohan’s team, minus the influential Manny Smith and Helder Mota through suspension, produced their best performance of the season when it really mattered as defeat would have all but spelt the end of their promotion challenge.

The first 45 minutes at Muirdeach’s Park were scoreless, although the home side were unfortunate not to go ahead when a corner kick was played back towards the edge of the box and David Donovan met the ball first-team with a screaming volley that just cleared the bar.

Black Bull finally made the breakthrough on the hour mark when another corner kick resulted in a goalmouth scramble and the ball seemed to creep into the net off an Ardee player despite Niall Levins’ claim that he got the decisive touch.

Evan Corlett, who was giving Ardee plenty of headaches with his pace and wizardry, then got in on the act to secure all three points for Black Bull.

His first goal, which made it 2-0, was described by manager Mohan as ‘worldclass’.

Corlett won possession in his own half and flicked the ball over two covering Ardee players before racing through on goal unchallenged and slotting past the Ardee goalkeeper.

Even then, an Ardee goal would have made things interesting in the latter stages, but Corlett ensured there was no way back for the visitors when slotting home another fine individual goal with 10 minutes remaining.

Black Bull’s remaining two games are against Johnstown and Square United and they could yet be involved in a title decider play-off against current leaders OMP United, depending on other results and the outcome of an appeal over an ineligible player.