Write a commentCookstown 1’s 6-2 Newry 1’s
Newry had a tough opening game in their first season back in the top flight of Ulster hockey for over 15 years. The Belfast Road men travelled to Cookstown in a match they knew would be extremely hard as they made the step up from Senior 1. The match started off as expected with Cookstown having the majority of the possession pinning Newry back in their own half for long periods of time. However it was the away side that drew first blood when veteran David Andrews got on the end of an Andy Gilmer cross and deflected it into the bottom left hand corner. This seemed to wake the home side who got back on level terms with a low shot which returning keeper Francis McGivern could not keep out. Soon after Cookstown made it two as they clinically converted a short corner. Newry got back on level terms when Andrews collected the ball on the right hand side and made his way to the bye line before squaring the ball back for Keith McWilliams who slapped the ball between the keeper’s legs to put the sides on level terms at half time.
Cookstown flew out of the traps in the second half and with only a few minutes played they had restored their lead through another short corner. Cookstown continued to press forward looking for another but it was Newry who came closest next when Adam Foster and Colin McKnight linked well with McKnight firing in from the top of the circle, but Robert Irwin diving in at full stretch at the back post could only get enough on the ball to put it onto the outside of the post. John Taylor had a great chance to put Newry on level terms also but could only drag his shot wide of the right hand post.
With 10 minutes remaining and fitness starting to show Newry found themselves down to nine men for a period and Cookstown took full advantage of this scoring 3 goals in 4 minutes to leave the score 6-2 which gave a false representation of the game flattering the home side.
Team: F. McGivern, J. Greer, D. England, N. McKnight, N. Davenport, C. Henning, J. Taylor, C. McKnight, K. McWilliams, R. Irwin, A. Gilmer, D. Andrews, A. Baird, A. Foster
Newry next take on Kilkeel in the Kirk Cup on Tuesday evening at 8pm.
