Under 17s Match Report

Cregagh 3 - 4 Comber Rec

With Comber's win last week confidence was high going into this week’s match with Cregagh.  The team didn't let the late kick off disturb their concentration and kept spirits up with a few ball control games instead of bending the ear of each other!
The match got underway with Comber piling on the pressure from the word go. They took the game to Cregagh and forced an early corner. Pinnons took the corner to the front post where it was flicked on by a Cregagh defender into his own net putting Comber 1-0 up. Throughout the match Comber struggled with the short pitch which resulted in the Comber midfield often being isolated by the ball going straight from defence to attack - in some cases the long kicks from Topping went straight out for a goal kick.
Cregagh quickly got back on even terms, a goal which brought the Comber team back to earth – it was clear the opposition were not going to roll over.
The second half was much the same as the first with the ball bouncing back and forth from the defence to attack. Cregagh conceded a free kick about 20 yards out; Irwin as normal was the first over to collect the ball but Laird decided that this was his opportunity,  over-ruled Irwin, and   had the composure to place a sublime free kick into the top far corner of the net keeping his goal tally up.
Again Comber got slack, as they have done in previous weeks, and let the ball through for a one on one situation when the forward out-muscled Gibson to face Topping and blasted a powerful shot past him bringing Cregagh back into the game. Comber reacted positively forcing the play out to the right from where Hanna placed the ball into the middle and after a few attempted clearance's Pinnons was there again on the edge of the box to power a well hit shot into the roof of the net giving Comber the edge.
With this Comber's momentum grew and they built attack after attack, forcing errors out of the Cregagh defence. Eventually the opportunity arose for Irwin to get his name on the score sheet, and he certainly didn’t take no for an answer!
Yet again, as in previous weeks, Comber's inability to keep the ball and not concede was evident near the end of the game, when Cregagh got another goal leaving the final score line as 4-3 to Comber.
All in all victory is what counts however this game in no way showed one team better than the other. This was a mediocre performance by the undefeated Comber side, although in saying that, there were again glimpses of a team that can play sexy football when they put their minds to it! Onward and upward for their next challenge!!
Although manager Stephen Carse wasn’t there for the match, the winning formula was carried on under the reign of coach Michael Davis and wee Monty. Full credit must go to all these men as what they are doing seems to be working!!