Write a commentRaphoe 1's: 2 Newry 1's: 1
Newry travelled to Donegal to play Raphoe on Saturday with an under strength squad but can be proud of their performance on the day.
Newry's tactics to stifle the Raphoe attack worked well with their Donegal opponents not knowing how to break the resolute defence down. Then with only ten minutes gone an incident occurred which can only be described as a cowardly and disgusting act with Newry striker Robert Irwin getting hit off the ball over the head by Raphoe sweeper Kilpatrick with his stick sending the Newry player to the ground. Even though the incident happen only 10 yards from the umpire directly in front of him he failed to see the incident. Raphoe had a number of short corners which Newry defended well with Greer clearing a drag flick off the line, but their persistence paid off and after another short corner which Richard Nummy did well to stop on the line the rebound was bundled in to give the home side the lead. Newry should have been on level terms when John Taylor had a great chance but he could only fire wide. Early in the second half Newry equalised with Taylor making up for his earlier miss scoring from a short corner. Newry had most of the play in the second half but after a counter attack Raphoe got the decisive second goal and managed to hold on to give them all three points.
Team: N. Dinsmore, R. Nummy, N. Liggett, N. McKnight, N. Davenport, J. Greer, C. Taylor, C. McKnight, R. Irwin, K. McCombe, D. England, B. Scott
Lisnargarvey 3's 3-1 Newry 2's
With Newry 2's aiming to stay in the Junior 1 league for a second season every point has to be fought for, however, after what can only be described as a very poor team performance typified by a very slow start which resulted in 2 early goals through some poor man marking made their survival fight has been made that much harder. Newry thought they had a way back in to the game when Jonny McWilliams scored a great goal getting on the end of a Paul McCullough cross deflecting it past the goalkeeper. The game then remained even with both sides missing chances, until 10 minutes before full time Garvey scored through a drag flicked short corner in to the bottom left of the goal beyond the Newry keeper and post defender.
Team: P. Elmore, S. Garvey, W. Adams, D. Barlow, J. McWilliams, P. English, D. Lawson, J. Lawson, D. Liggett, P. McCullough, N. McGuffin, D. Hogg, A. Henning
Lisnargarvey 3's 3-1 Newry 2's
P. Elmore, S. Garvey, W. Adams, D. Barlow, J. McWilliams, P. English, D. Lawson, J. Lawson, D. Liggett, P. McCullough, N. McGuffin, D. Hogg, A. Henning
Hollywood Ladies 6-1 Newry Ladies
H Kee, D L Inns, A Gamble, C Wadell, C Gamble, D Mc Minn, T Mc Ilroy, K Baird, J Cochrane, A Blakely, N Shields, A Magowan, L Girvan, D Mc Minn.
On Saturday, 16th February, Newry Olympic Hockey Ladies 1st XI played Holywood1st XI Ladies away. Knowing this would be a tough game Newry started with a 442 formation and from the whistle, Holywood were on the attack scoring 2 goals within the first ten minutes. Newry were awarded three short corners in the first twenty minutes and during the third short, Aimee Magowan passed the ball to Laura Girvan who scored. However Holywood, on a break, scored for a third time which put them into a comfortable 3-1 lead at half time.
Holywood came out strong during the second half and scored twice within fifteen minutes. Newry battled back but Holywood sealed the match with a final goal making the final score Hollywood 6 Newry 1.
