Ambassadors FC Reserves v Lisanally Rangers Reserves
Mid Ulster League Cup 1st Round
Saturday 12th December
Kernan Playing Fields
Ambassadors Reserves faced Lisanally Rangers Reserves for the second time this season when the two teams met in the first round of the Mid Ulster League Cup. Ambassadors had emerged as 2-1 victors in the previous encounter, on the opening day of the Reserve Division 3 season, and were hoping to use the fixture as an opportunity to see how far they had progressed in the first few months of their new venture.
Both the first team and reserve team were playing home fixtures in separate cup competitions and therefore the two teams met in the Kernan car park at 12.30pm with the matches set to kick off at 1.30pm, as cup fixtures traditionally do in MUFL competitions. The game was also officiated, unfortunately, by an official referee.
Due to injuries and unavailability of players in the first team a number of second team players were called up to the first team squad and a few changes were therefore enforced on the Reserve team. The line-up selected was as follows; Spratt in goal, a defence (from right to left) of Nugget, Dobbo, Mayes and Hawthorne, a midfield four of Neville, Pizza, Slim and Lib and a front pairing of Andy Martin and Mark Cullen. On the bench were Mark McDowell and young Luke Mawhinney who was getting his first taste of action after a few good performances in the Night Owls team.
The game started at a very slow and lethargic pace. There was little in the way of constructive passing or controlled possession from either team and quickly the game descended into periods of broken play, throw-ins and free kicks from the incessantly sounding whistle of the referee. The game wasn’t allowed to flow and both sides found it difficult to get into any sort of rhythm or to exert any kind of dominance over their opposition.
The deadlock was broken by Ambassadors however when Lib managed to burst into the Lisanally box and fire off a shot with his left foot. The shot went straight at the goalkeeper who managed to let the ball through his legs, in a Massimo Taibi-esque manner, and as the ball travelled across the line it was Andy Martin who won the race with a retreating defender to put the ball into the empty net.
It didn’t take long for Lisanally to equalise though. They were awarded a free kick in the centre circle and a hopeful ball was lumped into the box, somehow a Lisanally player evaded being marked and coolly volleyed the ball into the far top corner. A great finish but the defending left a lot to be desired.
The game then swung back into Ambassadors’ favour when a pass back to the keeper from a Lisanally defender bounced over the stopper’s swinging boot and ended up crossing the line and putting Ambassadors back in the lead. Another goal for the Dors that resulted directly from the keeper’s error.
But in a game that was full of twists and turns the away side got themselves back in the game when a free kick, which Spratt did will to tip onto the post, was followed up by a Lisanally player who converted his chance to make the score line two apiece.
The game then descended into a bit of a farce when Lisanally were awarded a dubious penalty. Dobbo had the ball in the Ambassadors box and under a challenge from a visiting attacker both players fell to the ground. The whistle blew and Ambassadors turned away expecting to have been awarded the free kick but to their absolute bewilderment and astonishment the referee had somehow managed to give the decision in the favour of Lisanally. The spot kick was tucked away into the bottom right-hand corner and Spratt was sent in the wrong direction.
An eventful half drew to a close with the Dors 3-2 down.
The second half followed much the same pattern as the first insomuch as the standard of football that was played was dire and ugly. Passing and possession were non-existent and the ball was constantly lumped from one end of the pitch to the other. Ambassadors did waste a number of chances to draw level though when Lib collected a flick on but dragged his shot wide from the edge of the box under a little pressure, Andy Martin capitalised on yet another keeper error as he spilled a through ball and Andy’s subsequent shot seemed to cross the goal line but was not seen by the referee, and a free kick from a promising position just outside the Lisanally box was spurned by the young substitute, Luke Mawhinney.
Neither team managed to convert any of the few chances they created in the second half and the game closed out as a 3-2 victory to the visitors.
There were very few positives for Ambassadors to take from the game – the standard had been poor, the passing, talking, control and level of play had all been below what is acceptable or required of the team. The only thing Ambassadors can really be thankful for is that the result came in a cup game and did not deny them gaining another 3 points in the league.
The boys will be dying to get onto the pitch next week to make up for Saturday’s performance and secure another 3 points in the league before the enforced Christmas hiatus.
