Late goal heartache for United

Late goal heartache for United

10 October 2024

A CONTROVERSIAL late goal denied Ballynahinch United a share spoils with near neighbours Castlewellan Town on Saturday.

The visitors came from behind to grab victory with a goal from a disrupted corner, which the Ballynahinch players believed should not have been given.

For them and the home fans, it was a disappointing end to a game in which there were few real goal-scoring opportunities.

Castlewellan’s well-drilled defence of  McCabe, Ciarnan Stratton, Garland and Kearne coped with the regular forays from United’s forwards, Aaron Cheevers, Jack Patterson and Rhys Patterson.

Goalkeeper Rory Burns was commanding in the air, although he was a bit fortunate when a header from Jack Patterson bounced off the crossbar.

United’s midfield trio of Crawford, Greg Hall and Lewie Soar, who was making his debut, gave their Castlewellan counterparts few opportunities their prolific forward line of  Croskery,  Jarosinski  and Matthew Stratton.

United’s goalkeeper, Raymond Tate, impressed throughout and made a couple of decent saves at the end of the first half.

Just before the close of the first half United lost defender Richard Annett with a thigh injury. 

At the start of the second half Castlewellan came out with great determination with plenty of possession for midfielders McCartan,  and Marron.

However, they got little change from United’s defence of Coleman, Brashaw, Matthew Hall and Tommy Rodgers, who replaced Annett. 

A strong wind blowing across the pitch meant that control of the ball wasn’t always easy . 

United took the lead in the 60th minute when Scott Brashaw who had made several forays in succession up the left wing, eventually outwitted his opponent and fired in a superb cross which was diverted past a stranded Burns by Aaron Cheevers to nestle in the corner of the net. 

United’s defence, whist coming under severe pressure as the game headed for its end, was dealing with everything that came their way until Jarosinski met a clearance from a corner to fire a bullet like drive into the net, giving Tate no chance.

United introduced substitutes Maxwell and Scott Cheevers into the game with Maxwell creating a number of openings.    

Controversy was the order of the day in the closing minutes of the game when, firstly, United’s keeper Tate was cleaned out 

after he had punched the ball clear from the edge of the penalty box.

The referee decreed that it was a natural coming together and instead of a free kick he gave a throw-in from which defender Chris Coleman headed the ball clear.

To many onlookers it appeared that the ball skimmed off the head of a Castlewellan player, but instead of a goal kick the referee gave a corner.

From the corner the ball bounced about in the area and a deflected shot from Kearney, which looked to be going over the crossbar, ped into the net.  

It was a cruel outcome for a United team that battled hard throughout.