Mid-Ulster Football League
Division 1
Ballyvea 2 Sandy Hill 1
By Ross Henderson
The Junior Cup brought disappointment for Ballyvea last time out, as they exited the competition following a 4-3 defeat to Moyola Park Olympic under the lights last Friday night.
This week they turned attention back to their league campaign, where they had thus far enjoyed a strong start, securing seven of nine available points. On Saturday, Sandy Hill travelled to Mourneview, hoping for a rerun of the reverse fixture last season, where they defeated Ballyvea 5-1.
The home side, boosted by the return of Adam Graham and Ben McConnell, started well, avoiding the early concessions they had fallen victim to in their previous two games. The entire team were stationed higher up the pitch from the beginning, this pressing approach being key in their second half comeback against Hillsborough Boys a fortnight ago.
Despite their good intentions, Ballyvea were unable to make a mark in the game, and were made to pay when Sandy Hill took the lead with a close-range header minutes before half-time.
The pattern of the second half was drawn in the same vein but now painted with bolder lines. Sandy Hill dropped even deeper as the Ballyvea attack intensified. A double substitution, and a change of formation with 15 minutes to play, was the key that broke the deadlock. Ballyvea’s Matthew Patterson, now playing on the left, grabbed his first goal for the team in fine fashion, powering the dropping ball into the far side netting, out of the grasp of the stretching Niall Brady in the Sandy Hill goal.
With 85 minutes on the clock, Annett gave Ballyvea the lead that their insistence demanded, caressing McConnell’s cross into the bottom left corner of the goal. The home side looked assured as they closed out the game to claim another three points, carrying them to second place in MUFL Division 1, and positioning them as the nearest chasers to high flying Lurgan Celtic.
Ballyvea’s next outing sees them reunite with West End Hibs, old foes from the Mountview Park outfit’s time in MUFL Division 2.
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