League Leaders Surprised by Resolute Rec

Undefeated table toppers Newington YC took a tumble at Park Way on Saturday when Comber Rec registered an unpredicted win over the high flying visitors. In a game of many missed chances by both teams, Rec snatched the all important solitary goal that gave them three precious points and opened things up at the top of the Premier League.
Yet again Rec were unable to field their full side, which means that since the season began they have not once been at full strength and have not as yet been able to put out the same starting line-up twice in a row. With Kevin Monson still injured, Neil Magowan recovering from last week’s ankle damage, and Marty Robinson on holiday, Rec were pleased to welcome back Gareth Larmour and prolonged absentee Ross Hegan, and also included Brent Reid in midfield.
In sunny conditions the home team kicked off and Chris Nicholl, who had an excellent game, drove over the top in the 2nd minute.
The first clear chance fell to Newington in the 8th minute when the ball was whipped across from the right corner by Burns and reached Duffy at the back post but he lofted his effort over from close range.
A sweetly delivered Larmour free kick at the other end was met by Hegan and his header looped over the Newington bar, but the opening period was fairly inconsequential, and neither side could establish creative momentum. Connor Couston comfortably held a Lyndsay 25 yard half volley and then an overhead attempt by Duffy as the visitors tried to turn up the heat.
The best action of the first half arrived midway. A misunderstanding between two Rec defenders presented Taggart with a sight of goal and he unleashed a tremendous strike that clipped the outside of Couston’s left post.
Newington upped the pressure and Lyndsay should have made more of a neat Duffy lay-off, but skied his shot yards high, and then Duffy himself screwed a good opening wide ten minutes from the break. The pattern was familiar to Rec spectators, clear chances not put away, but this time it was refreshing to see the opposition at fault.
Couston provided a heartstopping moment for home fans with a sequence of gratuitous dribbling and short passing that created danger and conceded a corner when a simple clearance was the easy option.
Duffy continued his series of misses with a header from a fine centre from the left well over the crossbar, and 5 minutes from the interval Quinn curled a left foot free kick a couple of yards wide.
Larmour and Hegan both showed brightly at the Newington end, and Couston did well to deny Quinn to a through ball into the Rec area, but the half ended scoreless and with everything to be played for.
Rec scored the vital goal 2 minutes into the second period. Gordon Leckey chased up a through ball and when his poked effort came back off the keeper Craig McCracken struck the rebound against a defender on the goal line. Jim McCloskey cleverly worked the second rebound across goal and clear of a wall of players and set up a short pass for Reid. His shot wasn’t cleanly hit, but the ball spun off his right foot and ended up high in the Newington net, to give Rec a valuable lead to protect throughout the rest of the game.
Amazingly Reid had an opportunity to double his tally a few minutes later. Total confusion in the Newington defence left an empty goal gaping, and Reid astutely fired in a shot from 20 yards which beat the outside of the post with keeper Snoddon hopelessly out of position.
Rec survived a tricky moment in the 55th minute when Couston swung his foot at a Brannigan cross and missed, but the ball travelled on across goal to safety.
Newington were hungry for an equaliser, and a fine Peter Kelly header over his crossbar was in the nick of time, and then it was Kelly again, this time bravely heading out a ferocious Morgan drive.
The best chance happened, however, at the Newington end when McCracken showed great close control in the box to rescue a McCloskey glanced header that should have been put away. Leckey’s first touch, unfortunately, took the ball too wide and the ball was cleared by an anxious Newington defence.
In the 75th minute Brannigan found himself space on the left of the Rec area and struck a beauty that was only a foot too high, but Rec continued to look equally threatening in their attacks, and McCracken turned his man superbly to shoot just wide.
Rec sub William Duncan was nicely put through on the right by a smart McCracken ball, but he shot hurriedly and was well off target.
In the dying minutes Rec survived a scramble in the box following a corner from the right, but the miss of the match came in the last minute of normal time. Brannigan was presented with an open goal and from a few yards sidefooted the ball across the goalmouth and wide of the far post.
There was further action in the 5 minutes added on by referee Heffer. Couston pulled off a brilliant save from a Taggart 35 yard screamer, the Rec keeper flinging himself to his left to turn the ball round the upright. In the very last move of the match Craig Bowers did well to work himself a shooting chance, and the keeper saved with his legs to leave the scoreline 1-0 in Comber’s favour.
This was a hard-fought victory in a game that could have gone either way. Newington played some good football but their finishing was poor, while Rec created a number of chances and looked just as dangerous in attack. The return of Ross Hegan added strength in midfield, and the clean sheet is tribute to the work done at the back. With Craig McCracken’s play now much less elaborate and therefore much more effective, Rec are starting to exhibit real threat going forward and a goal grabber up front would have a field day. The feeling is that if Rec could eventually put out their first choice team, they would be a force to be reckoned with.