Rec Finally Bring Wellington to Heel

Comber Rec have had to wait all year to settle the score against Wellington Rec for a demoralising defeat at the hands of the Larne men right back at the opening of the season, but the wait was worth it in that Rec took all three points at Park Way on Saturday. The satisfaction lay in the result, not in the performance, because Rec almost managed to defeat themselves against a very mediocre Wellington side, and the victory was in truth far from convincing.
Rec rested Adam Welsh and Gordon Leckey, and welcomed back Jim McCloskey and Marty Robinson from suspension as they kick off in warm afternoon sunshine.
Comber settled very quickly and threatened as early as the second minute. A Jim McCloskey free kick into the box caused confusion for the visitors and Peter Kelly was able to swivel on the ball and put in a shot, but he couldn’t get sufficient turn on it and the ball flew wide.
Rec clearly meant business, and in the 5th minute they went ahead with a neat goal. Ross Hegan swung a ball forward to Kevin Monson who lobbed it on first time and when the bounce deceived a home defender Craig McCracken took advantage to chip the ball high inside the left post past the exposed keeper, Hanna. It was a fine opening for Rec and for a brief period they threatened to build upon it, but Wellington survived further pressure and on the quarter hour managed to trouble the home defence with a wicked corner kick from the right.
Rec should have doubled their advantage in the 20th minute. A Brian Burgess kick out reached McCracken 10 yards out in front of goal, but instead of a straightforward shot, the easy option, he tried to dance past two defenders to his right, partly lost control, and only managed a weak effort on target that the keeper parried easily. The reluctance of Rec players to do the easy things, especially in shooting situations, was to be a feature of the game and one that almost proved to be their undoing.
Midway though the half Liam Mullan delivered an exquisite corner from the right side, but Monson got below it and the ball soared over the top.
Exactly on the half hour, and contrary to expectation, Wellington drew level. The home defence, unwilling to boot the ball upfield away from danger, lost possession twice in succession inside the area, and Burns seized upon the loose ball and swept it wide of Burgess low into the far corner of the net. The goal should have been a lesson, but throughout the remainder of the game some defenders and midfielders kept wanting an extra touch, waited until they were closed down, tried taking on opponents in risky situations and gave away possession, or played suicide square balls right across their own goalmouth. There seems to be some kind of taboo against a hefty clearance out of danger or into touch.
Rec regained their lead seven minutes from the interval, thanks to a piece of eagle-eyed refereeing by Steve Gilmore. McCloskey’s in-swinging corner kick from the left was headed by Hegan on the goal line, but although the keeper blocked the header with his hand, the referee was perfectly positioned to see that the ball had crossed the  line, and the score was given.
A minute from the break Monson put over a fine cross that reached Marty Robinson at the back post. He turned sweetly inside his marker, but sliced his left foot shot and the interval scoreline remained 2-1 in Comber’s favour.
Rec’s 5th minute goal in the first half was replicated by Wellington in the second. A handball free kick was given against Rec right on the line of the area, straight in front of goal. Devine took the kick and drove it wide of the wall low into the right side of the net, and the score was again level.
For a spell after this Comber played with the self-destruct button firmly on, serving up kamikaze football that seemed dedicated to presenting the points to the enemy.
On the hour Gareth Larmour somehow stopped the ball on his goal line, allowing Burgess to grab it at the second attempt, but Rec’s discipline and authority had seemed to disintegrate, and Wellington assumed control for a time.
Midway though the half Rec regained their composure, largely thanks to the leadership of Jim McCloskey, but it had been a ragged and unimpressive period of play by those who are normally impeccable.
Prompted by McCloskey and inspired by Liam Mullan, Rec took the game once more to the visitors. Sub Gordon Leckey saw a fine volley shave the left upright following a wonderful McCloskey run, and then in the 70th minute Rec went ahead for the third time. A screaming left foot volley by Mullan was spilled by Hanna, and McCloskey hammered the rebound into the net.
On the half hour a super Mullan 30 yarder cleared the bar by a foot, and then the keeper spilled another Mullan free kick but was relieved this time to see it hacked away to safety.
The match ended as it had begun with Comber totally in control, but that black period in the second half had taken some of the fizz out of the victory. If only Rec would do the easy things and not feel that it is somehow shameful or amateurish to shoot on sight, or to hoof the ball out of defence without the need to take extra touches or dribble past opponents. On Saturday for a spell Comber managed to make a very poor Wellington side look a reasonably good one.