Some R&R for Distillery as Rooney and Roohi earn the Whites a fine draw

The Whites took on Bangor at New Grosvenor on a rain soaked day with the playing surface tricky for both sides to say the least.

The home side, however, started well and had the first chance of the game as Ciaran Burns hit a thunderous strike from thirty five yards out only to see the ball come crashing back off the post leaving Bangor goalkeeper Darren Gibbons stranded.

Bangor then stepped up a gear and made their first chance count as they punished the Whites when Barry Walsh skipped past the challenges before smashing past Gerard McErlean to give the visitors the lead.

Distillery, however, responded almost immediately as Darius Roohi played the ball into the path of debutant Matthew Rooney and he sweetly struck low across the keeper and into the net despite Gibbons getting his hand to the ball.

Distillery then nearly took the lead as Chris Begley’s in-swinging cross was close to deceiving Gibbons but the goalkeeper readjusted well to acrobatically tip the ball over the crossbar.

Impressive debutant Rooney was so close to putting the Whites ahead from a free-kick the ball catching the wind and whistling just wide.

Distillery were playing some very good high pressing football and it was nearly rewarded as Rooney cut inside his shot well saved by Gibbons.

After trailing to that early goal, Distillery took the lead on 42 minutes as Roohi reacted quickly to fire into the net after Gibbons had parried Noel Halfpenny’s dipping shot - this was Roohi’s first goal for the senior team the youngster getting a recall for this game after impressing in the youth team.

Sean-Paul Murray’s side started the second half the brighter as Stephen Doyle drove through the yellow shirts before playing the ball into Matthew Rooney before Gareth Beattie cleared the ball away from danger.

However, Distillery were made to rue that missed chance as Bangor levelled on 61 minutes as Paul McDowell beat Begley before his shot was well saved by McErlean but the ball fell back kindly to Gerard McMullan who squeezed the ball into the net to the delight of the travelling support.

Distillery could have been 3-2 ahead as Joe McDonnell played in Rooney.

He rounded Gibbons from a narrow angle but overhit his cross and Bangor cleared with ease.

Distillery had a great opportunity to win the game right at the death as Kevin Hughes played in a sublime cross to Grainger who at full stretch toe poked the ball goalward only to see it rebound off the post and this resulted in a Barry Walsh clearance.

This was how it was to finish a point shared between the clubs and on the basis of play, a fair result. LDFC Team: McErlean, Pearce, Begley, Burns, Simpson, McDonnell, Rhoomi, Halfpenny, Doyle, Quinn, Rooney. LDFC Subs: Evans, McIlhagga, Atkinson (for Quinn), Hughes (for Doyle), Grainger (for Rooney).