Castle Star make it tough for Whites

Castle Star 3

Like a boxer who refuses to hit the canvas juniors Castle Star refused to lie down under a constant barrage of Lisburn Distillery hits on Saturday and indeed will have left New Grosvenor beaten but not disheartened following a gutsy performance in this Steel & Sons Cup tie.

After a pretty uneventful opening 21 minutes the deadlock was broken by Whites midfielder Kieran O’Connor who was on hand to half volley home following a great cross from Stephen Doyle and it was expected that after that the plucky juniors would collapse but it was not be and they levelled the game on 32 minutes when Lee Crockett was able to prod the ball home after the home side were unable to clear a free kick.

Only one minute later the Whites went back into the lead when Sean Southam converted from a Marty Jones pass to make it 2-1.

The juniors were back on level terms on 37 minutes when a through ball wasn’t picked up by the Whites defence and Andy Hall calmly picked his spot lobbing over the advancing Whites ‘keeper McBride.

The Whites regained the lead on 42 minutes when the impressive Jones’ effort was parried by the visitors goalkeeper into the path of Southam who made no mistake to add his second.

Castle Star got back into the game after only two minutes of the second half when the referee adjudged that Whites defender Darren Nixon had handled into the box and up stepped Brown to convert and once again level the game.

Manager Tommy Kincaid was calling for a response from his players by then and once again they provided it as they regained the lead, for the fourth time, on 56 minutes when Jones shot, his shot was parried once again, but this time the livewire striker followed up picking his spot in the corner of the net giving the visiting keeper no chance.

When a fifth goal for the hosts arrived on 67 minutes, a second for O’Connor following good work from Doyle, it was as good as game over.

After this fitness finally started to kick in with the Whites easily controlling the final stages of play although they only got one more goal on 75 minutes to show for their efforts, this one coming from substitute Darren Smyth who was making his first competitive appearance for the club following his recent injury.

And so the Whites finally got through to the second round where Kilmore Rec now await them, well done to Castle Star for all their efforts and every success to them for the rest of the season.