Match Report
Distillery 0-0 Larne 15 Feb 97
WHITES LACK SHOOTING STAR
Second bottom Larne gave Distillery a tough time in a hard fought if
slapdash game at Ballyskeagh.
Even when the Whites were on top, Larne came storming back with
raids, mostly starting down the left wing. And their shooting had
more sting than a somewhat listless looking Whites attack who failed
to get a worthwhile shot on target in the first half. Jim McCloskey on the left wing looked like being in danger for Distillery shortly before the break. He forced a corner and then fired in a swinging ball from the flag, but there was nobody to take advantage.
Larne came close through Adrian Hill, David Patton and Graham Mellon
but the interval came without a goal.
The Whites, showing a shade more purpose and poise, had tough luck 11
minutes into the second half. Winger Robert Campbell caused panic in
the Larne defence with a well placed long throw-in from the right and
in a goalmouth scramble Philip Dykes turned to flick a header just
over the bar from short range.
In a bid to pep up his attack Whites' boss Paul Kirk, sent on
teenager Gareth Walsh and David McGlinchey in quick succession for
McCloskey and Campbell.
And in desperation for a winner he used his last substitute for the
last ten minutes. Craig McAllister, an 18 year old who has been an
apprentice at Southampton, replaced right back Peter Crothers. But the Whites simply couldn't get the vital breakthrough and were
frustrated by cheeky breaks from Larne as the final minutes ticked
away. And to cap it all in the dying seconds of injury time Glenn Murray
missed a point-blank sitter to crown an unhappy day for the Whites.
Team: Mills, Fullerton, McMahon, Smyth, McKinstry, Looney, McDowell,
Johnston, Hill, Patton, Mellon subs: Lowry, Regan, McConkey
Referee: Peter Thompson (Bangor)
Match report courtesy of Martin Harris
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