JJB Irish Cup
3rd Round
21 November 2009
Comber Rec v Ballymacash Rangers

On a day better suited for ducks, Comber entertained their visitors from Lisburn in the 3rd round of the JJB Irish Cup.  The Park Way surface was only passed for playing by referee Cecil Flood about an hour before kickoff, and that was mainly due to some diligent work from Comber personnel and support.

The conditions were always going to play a large part in this game.  Storm forced winds with the occasional downpour dictated how the game was to be played.  The lush green surface enjoyed from August soon resembled the battlefields of Western Europe as both teams endeavoured to overcome nature and their opponents.
Comber enjoyed large portions of possession in the first half but it was the visitors who broke the deadlock with a well taken free kick towards the end of the first half.  The goal was met with a muted response from the local support which had been swollen by others whose games had been cancelled due to the weather.  An interested onlooker was Ricky Beggs, manager of Comber’s semi-final opponents in the Border Cup.  With so many of the first choice players not taking to the field on Saturday it’s difficult to know what the Grove supremo might have learnt.

The second half continued with Comber again doing much of the pressing but keeper McKenna looked in command any time the visitors broke through.
Comber’s equalizer was another classic strike from Kyle McQuillan.  Overlapping down the left wing, McQuillan’s interchange of play on the heavy surface was a delight to watch and his strike on goal worthy of winning any game.  Manager O’Rourke had by this time pushed Peter Kelly forward from his customary defensive position to chase the game.  This had the usual effect of having the visitor’s defence retreat well into their half.
The Comber faithful were delighted to see Ross Hagan back from a lengthy injury as his mid-field presence has been missed over the past weeks.
An inspirational substitution saw Darren Massey brought on towards the latter part of the second half.  His first touch of the ball was to direct it into the Ballymacash goal.  This lifted the Comber crowd even more as the locals were by now playing better football than the conditions should have allowed.  The mid-field was working tirelessly, especially Ryan ‘Jim’ Johnston.

As the final whistle blew, Johnston was announced as Comber’s man of the match and was presented with his award by local businessman and match day sponsor Mr Ken Gilmore.  The club is again indebted to Mr Gilmore for his interest in Comber Rec and to the supporters club for organizing a match day sponsor each week.

Congratulations to Mr Flood, the match referee, for making allowances for the playing surface and allowing the game to flow as best he could.  He certainly had the right name for Saturday’s conditions!

Teams
Comber:-  McKenna, Reid, Jeffery, Kelly, Larmour, McQuillan, Oliver, Johnston, Hegan, T Ritchie, Forsythe. Subs. Canmore, C Ritchie, Stitt, Massey, Mooney.

Ballymacash Rgrs:- Warnock, White, Williamson, Jess, Spence, Lowry, Cummings, Morgan, Finlay, Donaghy, D Falkner.  Subs. M Falkner, Kearns, Irwin, Grattan, Strong.

Ryan Johnston man of the match being presented his award from match day sponsor, Mr Ken Gilmore.