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Match Report · Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Posts: 128

U-18 v Glenavon U-16
21/04/2009
(Friendly)

Knocknamuckley prepared for their Northern Ireland Cup semi final, and Lurgan BBOB Sevens final with a friendly against Glenavon U-16s on Tuesday night. Knocknamuckley entertained Glenavon, in this 7-a-side friendly, at Havelock park in Banbridge, on the same pitch on which they disposed of Garvagh in the Northern Ireland Cup Quarter Final in such impressive fashion. Glenavon possess one of the leading senior sides in Northern Ireland, but in recent years have also developed some of the very best youth teams in the country, and were sure to provide very stern opposition for the Knocknamuckley BB side.

Knocknamuckley made the perfect start. A Glenavon pass was intercepted with 30 seconds of the kick off, and Stuart Campbell, who was making his second 7-a-side start of the season, turned and fired in a powerful, low drive, which flew into the bottom right hand corner of the net from all of 20 yards to give his side a wonderful start.

Knocknamuckley had chances to increase their lead. One such chance came from a well weighted John Henderson pass, which played Stephen Russell in behind the defence. Russell’s cushioned the ball down on his right foot before striking with his left, but he saw his shot saved.

Muckley’s early lead was then cancelled out, as a runner from midfield wasn’t picked up, and allowed a Glenavon forward through on goal. Seth Mathers advanced out of his goal and made the initial save, but the rebound fell to a second forward who had been following up at the back post, although Mathers managed to somehow scramble his way across to the shot, the ball squirmed over the line for the equaliser.

Knocknamuckley began to control the play and had a flurry of well worked chances. Campbell managed to find space in behind the Glenavon defence, and was picked out by Henderson, but was denied by the goalkeeper. Gregg Harrison had half a chance from inside the box, but fired his shot narrowly wide. Harrison turned provider soon after, picking out Henderson with a low cross to the far post. Henderson played a delicate flick, which was brilliantly saved by the goalie.

Knocknamuckley nearly gifted Glenavon a goal to put them in the lead when Simon Grey played an ill advised pass, which was intercepted by a Glenavon forward, who blazed over with only the keeper to beat.

Knocknamuckley began to exert more pressure on the Glenavon defence. Harrison opened up the defence with a diagonal run, and curled over a dangerous cross, which unfortunately came to nothing. Campbell then tried an audacious effort, having been played in by Harrison, the Muckley striker bided his time as the keeper advanced and tried a delicate lob over his head, but was unable to find the back of the net. Campbell was again involved as Grey advanced out of defence, the big central defender fired in a good low shot, with the ball heading in the direction of Campbell he cleverly dummied the ball, wrong footing the keeper, but Grey was unlucky to see his effort float wide.

There was no let up for Glenavon as Knocknamuckley kept on piling on the pressure. Russell and Harrison combined with a one-two in around the Glenavon box, before Russell unleashed a powerful shot across goal, which the goalkeeper again did well to get down and save well. Harrison then fired wide with an acrobatic volley.

There was a sense that a goal was bound to come sooner or later, and the time finally arrived with a fluent move from one end of the pitch to the other. Mathers started the attack with a quick throw to Russell who was deep on the right. Henderson made a great run into space on the right wing. Russell held the ball and timed his pass down the right hand touch line, judging it to perfection into the run of Henderson, who was then composed to pick out Harrison, who was clinical with his finish to give Muckley a deserving lead.

Despite all of the hard work from Knocknamuckley to gain the lead, the one goal advantage was thrown away within a matter of minutes. A run from a Glenavon midfield player went untracked, and as he picked up the ball he managed to place an excellent finish in off the right hand post to level the scores.

Stephen Russell did have one last chance for Muckley from a Harrison cross, but his effort went wide, and the sides went in level at the break.

Half Time 1st Knocknamuckley 2 v 2 Glenavon

Knocknamuckley continued where they had left off before half time. A great cross field ball from Gregg Harrison picked out Colin Irwin, who had replaced Stuart Campbell. Irwin attempted a volleyed pass into the pass off John Henderson. The ball rebounded off the defender back to Irwin, who hit the ball first time, drilling it into the far corner of the net. Soon after, Harrison, who was having a good game, got his name on the score sheet for the second time with a controlled finish to give Muckley a two goal cushion.

Seth Mathers was tested in the Knocknamuckley goal for the first time in the second half, diving to his left to make a one handed save from a shot from distance. Knocknamuckley were soon on the attack again, with Andy Calvert starting the attack from deep with an accurate long pass which put Irwin in behind the Glenavon defence wide on the left. Irwin took the ball to the bye-line where he beat the Glenavon defender, before taking the ball round the goalkeeper, and then having to beat the same defender again before finishing from a narrow angle. Glenavon attempted to get back into the game, but were again denied by a smart save from Mathers.

Colin Irwin rounded off a fine second half hat-trick, from a Gregg Harrison through ball which picked out the forward’s run through the centre, which Irwin guided past the goalkeeper with a delicate touch. Again Glenavon tried to reply soon after a Muckley goal, but a good ball to the back post only resulted in a shot off target.

Campbell was reintroduced for Irwin with 5 minutes left on the clock, and managed to put pressure on the Glenavon defence when they were in possession. This nearly paid off when Campbell managed to win the ball, beat his man and played a pass to John Henderson, who saw his effort rebound off the post.

Mathers pulled off the save of the match as the game drew to a close. Glenavon hit a powerful shot from outside the box, which took a deflection of a Muckley defender, Mathers managed to readjust and sail through the air to touch the ball over the bar, as it curled into the top right hand corner of the net.
Gregg Harrison played another marvellous cross field pass from left to right, picking out Henderson. Hendo lobbed the ball back across goal, but his first time pass just evaded the jump of Campbell. Campbell managed to add to his first half effort, when a Stephen Russell pass picked him out in the box and Soupy was able to slot the ball in at the near post to round off the scoring

This was a very impressive team performance by Knocknamuckley with every player putting in a very good performance. There were a number of positives which can be taken into next weeks Northern Ireland Cup semi final against Ardstraw, and also a few things which can be improved upon easily in time for the big match.

Full Time 1st Knocknamuckley 7 v 2 Glenavon

Team: Mathers; Grey, Calvert; Russell, Henderson, Harrison; Campbell: C.Irwin, Mawhinney.

Goals: Campbell 2, Harrison 2, C.Irwin 3.