Tag: Jack Patterson

Match Report: Ballynahinch United 2nds 3 v 0 Tollymore 2nds

The Swifts welcomed Tollymore 2nds to Millbridge for this league encounter and the home side secured a valuable three points against a dogged team who scrapped throughout. Fielding only ten men in the opening half hour, Tollymore found themselves 2-0 down. The first goal came on twelve minutes through a converted penalty from Aaron McCaffrey following a hand ball in the penalty area. The second goal came on the half hour when teenager Graeme McMullan poked the ball home following a goal mouth scramble.

Tollymore were up to full strength after this and they came more into the game but the Swifts defence of Ross Bingham, Scott McNeill, Paul King and Shaun Bonner were able to hold firm to give keeper Johnny McGreevy a fairly easy afternoon.

The Swifts midfield quartet of Alan Massey, Gareth Bingham, Matthew Manley, Graeme McMullan and in the closing stages Stuart Wilcox saw plenty of the ball but failed to create opportunities for forwards Johnny Stevenson, until he came off injured, and Aaron McCaffrey who both worked hard.

The introduction of Jack Patterson before half time gave the Swifts a real impetus as the young player with pace to burn stretched the Tollymore defence. The Swifts third goal came midway through the second half when Patterson won a race for a loose ball and he flicked it past the on rushing keeper and into the net.

Ballynahinch United 2nds 3 v 0 Ardglass Colts

The Swifts had Ardglass Colts as the visitors at Millbridge on Saturday and in an entertaining game they secured all three points with three excellent second half goals.

The first half was relatively even with Ardglass going close on several occasions necessitating a lot of hard work defensively from King, McNeill, McMenamin and Bonner in support of keeper Johnny McGreevy. Paul King had United’s best opportunity when his 25 yard free kick hit the inside of the post and rebounded to safety.

After a scoreless first half things burst into action when the always lively Jack Patterson dashed down the wing and crossed to Aaron McCaffrey who volleyed an unstoppable shot into the net. Patterson led the way again when another left wing cross was met by the hard working Stuart Wilcox who headed his team into a 2 – 0 lead.

Patterson and his midfield colleagues Massey, Wilcox and Gareth Bingham were in total command at this stage but they were unable to increase their lead thanks to some excellent defending by the Ardglass team. Swifts manager Davy Taggerty introduced a trio of replacements in Nathan Farquhar, Matthew Manley and Ross Bingham and with Farquhar playing some neat football spreading the ball to all parts of the field it looked almost certain that they would score again.

The final goal came following a run down the right wing by Ross ‘Chris’ Bingham who unleashed a shot that looked as if it would land on the Downpatrick Road. In fact it dipped viciously under the cross bar and the Ardglass keeper at full stretch, managed to claw it out but the ever alert Matthew Manley ran in to fire the ball into the net before the keeper could recover.

This week the Swifts are away to Dromore Leisure Centre to play Banbridge Boys Club.

Ballynahinch United 1 v 1 Downshire

United returned to league action at the Millbridge for the first time in 2014 against their near neighbours the Hillsborough based Downshire YM who until recently have not been having the greatest of seasons. United entered the game with a plethora of changes due to the absence for a variety of reasons of experienced campaigners Davy Boal, Aaron Cheevers, Gavin Crawford, Ross Hayes and Simon Jackson from the previous week’s team.

The opening exchanges were even, however by the time United took the lead in the fifteenth minute they were dominating proceedings. A surge from defence by Scott Brashaw was not halted and as the defender took the ball to the edge of the six yard area he cut it back for Johnny Gibson to shoot home. The same player had almost scored minutes earlier when his long range shot cannoned off the crossbar with experienced Downshire YM keeper Brian Burgess well beaten.

United’s defence of Ethan Majury, JJ Carlisle and Scott Brashaw had their work cut out over the next fifteen minute period as Downshire prompted in midfield by former United player Matty Shaw laid siege to the home goal in which Brian McMullan’s handling was outstanding. The big keeper however was unable to stop the equaliser from the penalty spot on twenty five minutes after JJ Carlisle had been penalised.

After this flurry of goal scoring, clear cut openings were limited for the reminder of the game especially as the second half progressed with perhaps both teams afraid of losing. United’s midfield of Ian Boal, Lee Maxwell, Stuart McMullan and Johnny Gibson worked tirelessly to create openings while Ian and Gareth McMullan combined very well up front.

While the result may not have been to the pleasing of a good local support the introduction of teenagers Greg Allison and on his debut Jack Patterson gave them a glimpse of the future stars with neither in the slightest overawed.