All’s ‘Well that ends ‘Well
NEWFOUNDWELL BELLURGAN UNITED 2 1
This was a critical game on Sunday morning for both teams in terms of their season, with both needing the points for polar opposite reasons.
Newfoundwell with games in hand can overtake the teams ahead of them and move clear in the title race, while Bellurgan are trying to stave off relegation.
Their worries were increased while Newfoundwell closed the gap on the leaders Trim to five points with a goal a minute from time when the visitors looked like they were going to turn a deficit into a win.
They battled so well with their young players asked to fill the breach standing up very well to the challenge which provided a lot of encouragement despite the obvious disappointment that they can procure their safety with admittedly two tough matches to play. They were missing a number of players through injury and suspension, and also lost goal keeper Robert Arthur at the break after pulling a hamstring.
Their remaining games are both at home, with a return fixture against Newfoundwell, and the other against Ardee who are also in the relegation mix, which could decide both teams fate.
They had held the title chasers fairly comfortably in the opening half.
Newfoundwell’s best scoring chance came after ten minutes with Arthur making a great save, but Bellurgan probably should have taken the lead before the break when Daniel McDonnell took a pass from Chris Lawson down the left wing and beat his man and whipped in a great cross to the back post. Owen Armstrong met it with his head but was foiled by a brilliant save by Ronan Brown.
After a number of changes and half-time moves the ‘Well were a lot better after the break and soon took the lead when a quick free from Murphy to Divine teed up O’Connor to fire to the net.
Bellurgan rode out a wobbly period after that with O’Connor making a fine save, and with under 20 minutes left equalised, with another free-kick special by Ciaran Sheelan from the edge of the 18 yard box.
They had Newfoundwell in bother with young Gavin Gregory really posing problems, creating two opportunities to take all three points.
Agonisingly for Bellurgan, Newfoundwell exerted some late pressure and when Stephen Finnegan tried to hook clear a ball that looked like going wide, it fell straight to O’Connor again who blasted it to the net from four yards. NEWFOUNDWELL: R Brown , D Mc Donnagh , P O Boyle , S Murphy, C Reid (A Murphy), R Cashman (A Devine), D Carolan, B Kemode , C O Connor, J Kemode , A Burke (K Bull).
BELLURGAN: Robert Arthur (Tadhg O’Connor 45), Daniel O’Connor, Chris Lawson, Diarmuid Murphy, Owen Traynor, Stephen Finnegan, Gavin Gregory, Declan Sharkey (Niall Donnelly 75), Daniel McDonnell, Owen Armstrong, Ciaran Sheelan.