Reid leveller keeps ‘Well right in mix

NEWFOUNDWELL are now the only remaining unbeaten team in the NEFL Premier Division after Cormac Reid’s strike earned them a point on their new home pitch at DIFE on Sunday.

It was a tough first examination on the all-weather surface and Quay Celtic enjoyed the better of the first half, with their five-man midfield bossing in the possession stakes.

However, their goal, scored in the 25th minute, came from a counter-attack following a wayward free kick at the other end. Kevin Bull and Paddy O’Boyle sauntered up the field in the hope of getting on the end of Alan Murphy’s delivery, but the kick failed to beat the first defender and the ball was played swiftly up the field by Vinny Smith towards player/ manager Martin Smith.

‘Well keeper Ronan Brown sprung from his goal, thinking he could win the foot chase, but the former Drogheda United Under-21s striker got there first and touched the ball past the

NEWFOUNDWELL QUAY CELTIC 1 1

netminder before slotting home.

In the latter stages of the first half the hosts created a couple of chances, with Ian Devine failing to get the ball out of his feet in time to shoot and Ryan Connor being denied by Quay keeper Fergal Sheekey.

The ‘Well management team of Danny Gartland and Paul Crowley made changes at half-time, with Jordan Duffy replacing the injured Devine and Ross Reid coming on to join Murphy and Connor at the heart of midfield.

Duffy’s introduction certainly gave the ‘Well a bit more energy in attack, but there were no takers when Craig O’Connor delivered an inviting ball across the sixyard box.

The home side’s patience paid off, though, on 75 minutes when Murphy and Connor combined to tee up Cormac Reid who fired home from just outside the box.

Newfoundwell thought they had conjured a winner on 85 when another sub, Shaun Bannon, went through on goal and finished to the Quay net, only to be brought back for what was a very tight offside call.

There was one final chance for the home side two minutes from time when O’Connor did the spadework before O’Boyle chipped into the path of Bannon in a dangerous area.

However, the ball wouldn’t come down quickly enough for the youngster and although he got a shot away it failed to trouble the Quay goalkeeper. NEWFOUNDWELL: Ronan Brown, Gaz Smith (Ross Reid), Paddy O’Boyle, Daryl McDonagh, Kevin Bull, Ryan Connor, Alan Murphy, Cormac Reid, Craig O’Connor, Ciaran Carroll (Shaun Bannon), Ian Devine (Jordan Duffy).

QUAY CELTIC: Fergal Sheekey, Stefan McKevitt, Dean Sheil, Denis Cholach, Shaun O’Connor Sean Matthews (David Redmond), Cody Magill (Johnny Lynch), Niall McLaughlin, Robbie Gavigan, Vinny Smith, Martin Smith.