Tag: Gavin Crawford

Match Report: Ballynahinch Olympic 1 v 2 Ballynahinch United

Bells Bridge, Dromara was the setting for the first ever derby match between Ballynahinch rivals Olympic and United. It was somewhat ironic that the setting for the game was Bells Bridge which was once United’s home ground in their early days.

A decent crowd turned up for the game however if they were looking for any fireworks at this Halloween period they would have been sadly mistaken because in general terms both teams were more focussed on playing football.

Olympic as the home side made much of the early running and but for the intervention of Stuart McMullan heading off the goal line from an early attack they could have been ahead.

Apart from this United’s experienced defensive line-up of Boal, Hayes, Brashaw and Herron with Dickson providing a shield gave United’s goalkeeper Brian McMullan solid protection and kept Olympics’ prolific scorer Niall Murray at bay.

United took the lead five minutes from half time when they forced a corner which was taken by Stuart McMullan. Paul Dickson rose above everyone else to head home past Olympic keeper Ryan Walsh.

In the second half both sides had an equal share of possession without really creating any serious goal scoring opportunities. For United Dalton Tate was very effective in central midfield along with Gavin Crawford while in attack Ian McMullan and Aaron McCaffrey chased everything.

United doubled their lead on 65 minutes when Gavin Crawford, who has been scoring regularly in his second season with the club, hit a screamer of a shot from around 20 yards which beat Walsh to nestle in the net.

United were playing with confidence and didn’t have to force the issue however in the closing quarter Olympic made a few changes and it paid dividends when they scored with a deflected header to leave a grandstand finish.

United introduced stalwart Johnny Stevenson to the action for his first outing of the season along with teenager Greg Allison and their fresh legs provided a threat to an Olympic team who were chasing the equaliser. Stevenson was unlucky not to score when he crashed a shot of the Olympic crossbar however the visitors were able to hold out to secure a vital three points and end a two game losing sequence when they have perhaps been a shade unlucky with the run of the ball.

This week United host Rathfern Rangers in a league game at the Millbridge.

Match Report: Ballynahinch United 3 v 1 Bloomfield (11/10/14)

United entertained East Belfast team Bloomfield at the Millbridge last Saturday in a league fixture hoping to build on the previous week’s excellent victory over Downshire YM. The visitors have had some good results of recent and were expected to provide stiff opposition and so it turned out to be. Despite having a good share of the play United were unable to convert the chances they created and midway through the first half they went 1 down and despite a spirited response they could not get level.

The half time team talk certainly had a very positive effect because United came out all guns a blazing and were level very quickly with a goal from Paul Dickson who was making his first appearance in the team for a month following suspension and holidays. Dickson converted after excellent work by Dalton Tate. Not long after their equaliser United went 2 – 1 ahead when Ian McMullan converted following some tenacious work from Tate.

The visitors pressed hard to get level but they found Brian McMullan and his defensive colleagues in a very determined mood. All over the pitch the players put in an outstanding shift and as Bloomfield risked more and more players forward they left themselves vulnerable and so it turned out to be when Gavin Crawford scored to put the game out of reach.
Manager Keith Hamilton will be very pleased with this result and the recent good run of results which his hard working team have achieved.

Match Report: Ballynahinch United 3 v 2 Grove United

United went into this match on the back of a series of cup defeats and were anxious to get back on the winning trail in this league encounter. Whilst a number of the more experienced players were back in action the team was missing Paul Dickson and Craig Bowman through suspension,  JJ Carlisle now off to University, Scott Brashaw and Gareth Bingham both unavailable whilst Gregg Allison is injured. The visitors who were quite a youthful team got off to a great start when they went ahead after one minute when a long cross from the right wing was headed into the net via the post. Things got worst inside ten minutes when a clearance broke kindly for their centre forward and he smashed the ball past Brian McMullan who had no chance of saving it.

The home team were shelled shocked and they really never got going and could on several occasions have fallen further behind had it not been for timely interventions from the defensive line up of Ross Hayes, David Boal, Ethan Majury and Craig McMullan and a number of fine saves from goalkeeper Brian McMullan.

The second half started poorly with United taking some time to get into the game until a positional changes were effected with Stuart McMullan moving to the left side of midfield and Herron to left back, The impact was almost immediate as United increasingly got on the attack however the visitors held resolute frustrating them until late in the game.

McMullan and Herron were proving a handful on the left side and it was they who created the opening that led to United’s first goal and for which Grove paid a heavy penalty. In the 80th minute Aaron McCaffrey was put through by McMullan and he was pulled back by the Grove number 5 and as it was his second booking he was red carded. From the resulting free kick on the edge of the penalty Dalton Tate shot home through a space in the defensive wall.

Buoyed on United pressed forward with midfielders David Kelly, Gavin Crawford and Dalton Tate seeing a lot of the ball and finding more openings and from a corner the ball broke free for McMullan to stroke the ball into the net from close to the penalty spot. The game was now into injury time but as there was a fair bit of additional time due to time wasting United pressed forward. In the 92nd minute McMullan eased the ball away from the Grove goalkeeper on the left hand side of the penalty area and he swivelled close to the bye line close to the  six yard box to find Gavin Crawford running in and crashing the ball into the net.

In the closing minutes Grove pressed to get an equaliser but United held the ball from them to secure a vital three points.

This week United travel to East Belfast for a league game.

Ballynahinch United 1 v 0 Grove United

United entertained Grove United in this league fixture at Millbridge last Saturday and having defeated the Belfast Shore Road side the previous week in a close encounter the same difficult game was expected.

It was the home team who were on the attack from kick off with JJ Carlisle and Lee Maxwell combining well on the right wing with Stuart McMullan and Johnny Gibson providing a similar threat on the left flank.

After forcing a series of corners it was United who would score what turned out to be the only goal of the game in the 15th minute. Johnny Gibson did extremely well to keep an over hit cross from going out of play which deceived the Grove defence and when he managed to cross the ball onto the edge of the six yard area Gavin Crawford was standing unmarked to head home off the inside of the post.

Throughout the game United’s defence of JJ Carlisle, Scott Brashaw, Ross Hayes and Stuart McMullan were resolute and with Brian McMullan in commanding form, Grove never really created any serious goal threat despite having some good possession.

In midfield Aaron Cheevers worked tirelessly alongside Ian Boal and Gavin Crawford while Ian McMullan was always an attacking threat but little fell his way. Gregg Alison and Davy Boal provided extra support when they came on and even though it wasn’t a convincing display it was nevertheless a deserved victory with another clean sheet being a bonus.

This week United travel to Ballywalter Rec. for a league fixture.

Ballynahinch United 2 v 0 Rathfern Rangers

United entertained Belfast side Rathfern Rangers at Millbridge in this league encounter.

The home team were without the injured Ethan Majury and the suspended JJ Carlisle and the Boal brothers however they welcomed back Adam Herron into the match day squad. The early exchanges were even with both teams pressing for the advantage although the visitors had been lucky when their goal keeper dropped a corner ball against the post and his defence managed to get it scrambled away.

Ian McMullan who has been on the score sheet regularly in recent weeks added to his tally after 25 minutes when he was on hand to take advantage of a collision between goalkeeper and central defender to bundle the ball over the line. He was making up for missing a chance a minute earlier when he headed wide from a Johnny Gibson cross. After this Rathfern picked up the pace and caused the United defence of Scott Brashaw, Ross Hayes and Stuart McMullan considerable problems while goal keeper Brian McMullan was in outstanding form foiling several one on ones to keep a clean sheet before half time.

The start of the second half saw United take a 2-0 lead within minutes of the kick off. A good passing movement through midfield involving David Kelly and Gavin Crawford found Aaron Cheevers free and he chipped the ball over the Rathfern defenders into the path of Lee Maxwell who chipped the ball over the advancing keeper into the net.

Moments later United should have had a third goal when Ian McMullan was put through by cousin Gareth McMullan but the referee ruled that he was offside. A moment of indiscipline in the 70th minute saw David Kelly dismissed for retaliation after he was clearly hit in the face off the ball and as a result Manager Keith Hamilton sacrificed a forward by introducing Jay Smyth to the midfield as the United defence was under a fair bit of pressure. Stuart McMullan playing in a much deeper position than usual was in inspirational form regularly emerging with the ball from dangerous positions.

The experienced Adam Herron and later Nathan Farquhar were introduced to the fray and they were involved in a number of attacking moves which put United back on the offensive. From a corner Ian McMullan appeared to be punched by the Rathern keeper who was dismissed however instead of awarding a penalty as the ball was in play which would have sealed the game for United he inexplicably gave a bounce ball.

United’s steel and determination came to the fore in the closing stages of this game and they saw the game out. This was another good display from United who are at home again next week against Ballywalter Recreation.