Elks lose out to Lurgan

The Ulster Elks lost their second consecutive game on Saturday going down 3-2 to Lurgan at Jordanstown.

The students meet Lurgan in the ONE 1918 Ulster Shield final next month and so this match was considered a dress rehearsal.

The Elks started strongly, keen to put the previous weekend's disappointing defeat behind them, but it was the visitors who took a surprising lead after just seven minutes, hitting the Newtownabbey girls on the counter-attack.

Unshaken by this early set-back the Elks seemed to step up a gear and continued to pressure the Lurgan defence. Ciara Magee was denied by Lurgan goalkeeper Lisa Costley in this period as was South African International Roxy Turner.

The home side were made to pay dearly for these missed chances when they were hit on the counter attack and found themselves 2-0 down twenty minutes into the game.

Lurgan started to get more possession at this stage and created more chances for themselves to extend the score line, it looked as if only a miracle would bring the Ulster Elks back into the game.

Cue Philippine Berly with a truly fantastic strike. The French International broke into the circle and was forced wide left by the Lurgan defence. Once Berly reached the baseline and had nowhere else to go, she unleashed a ferocious reverse stick shot that soared past Lisa Costley in goals into the far top corner. This lifeline gave the Elks hope of getting back into the game.

Lurgan had other ideas and finished the half as the stronger of the two teams, converting from a penalty corner just before the break.

In the second period the Elks pushed forward and tried to claw a goal back to get into the contest. Turner, Berly and Magee all had opportunites to reduce the deficit but the resolute Lurgan defence stood strong until Alice Garrad dribbled towards the circle after seventeen minutes, picked out Turner who fired the ball across the circle for Lyndsay Neish to tap home from close range.

With the score at 3-2 the game became quite open and now both sides were getting a great deal of possession and creating opportunities to add to their tally. The Elks threw everything at Lurgan in the closing stages taking some risks in defence, but could not get that elusive equaliser.

The Ulster Elks are in action against Victorians this Saturday afternoon at Jordanstown, passback is 1pm.