Campbell delighted with Kesh’s second half performance
NFC Kesh 1 Dergview Reserves 1
A NATHAN Cashel equaliser earned Kesh a share of the points in a tightly contested match at Connolly Park.
Dergview Reserves had led through a first half goal from Dale Maxwell, but Cashel’s flicked finish ensured Kesh took a point, as Ryan Campbell’s unbeaten league run as Manager stretched to six matches.
Campbell was pleased that his side fought back from behind for the second week in succession.
“It showed good character, and that we were not willing to lie down,” he said.
“We told them at half time that we needed to up our game by 20 per cent and that is what they did.
“We responded well and produced a superb second half. About 15 or 20 minutes into the half we made a few changes and changed our formation and it worked for us.
“I couldn’t be happier with our second half performance.
“After the equaliser, both teams were trying to go for it, and it turned into a battle more than anything, but when you look back on the game as a whole, a draw was probably a fair enough result, because both teams had chances.”
Kesh started brightly and twice in the first ten minutes delivered dangerous crosses across the penalty area without a striker getting on the end of them.
Ryan Beacom then fired a shot wide of the post and the home team, also came close from a corner, but as the first half progressed Dergview started to get a foothold in the match, and were looking increasingly dangerous.
Stefan Mccusker was called upon to make a crucial double save to preserve their clean sheet, but the experienced Ivan Sproule was a constant threat.
Dergview got their reward after 40 minutes when a long free kick into the penalty area was headed past Mccusker by Dale Maxwell.
After the half time interval Kesh pressed forward in search of an equaliser and they came close when Danny Wilson and Sean Mcdonagh combined well, but the ball came back off the underside of the crossbar.
Josh Fleck then had an opportunity, but his shot was well saved by Alan Buchanan in the Dergview goal.
With 12 minutes remaining, Kesh finally got back on level terms.
A free kick on the right touchline was lofted into the penalty area by Mcdonagh, and Nathan Cashel produced an instinctive flick to divert the ball past Buchanan.
In the final ten minutes, both teams went in search of a winning goal, and Kesh felt aggrieved when they were refused a penalty kick after Cashel went to ground inside the penalty area, but the referee waved away their appeals as the game ended level.