Wakehurst finish year with league victory

A headed goal from central defender Roy Colville after six minutes was good enough to win the three points for Wakehurst, in what can only be described as an uninspiring 90 minutes of post Christmas football.

After the bright start it was expected that the home team would impose their usual brand of high tempo passing game on the visitors who are struggling to find any form in the League this season, but only 3 minutes later they had a golden opportunity to equalise.

A corner from the Portstewart right was met firmly by Richard Dunlop but Lee McCaughern chested his header off the line and Craig Ramsey blazed the ball high over the crossbar from 4 yards.

The play was mostly confined to midfield for the remainder of the half and long range shooting posed the only trouble to keepers Marc Maybin and Joel Madison with Maybin being the busier of the pair making three vital saves from the efforts of Dunlop and James Peden.

Wakehurst were slightly better in the second half but never created a worthwhile opportunity, whereas Maybin was again called upon to deny Dunlop and Andy White couldn’t steer the rebound into a gaping net.

In the closing 20 minutes both teams used two substitutes, Sam Boylan and Jonathon Gawne coming on for Portstewart and Steven McIlroy and Darren Parker for the home team. Wakehurst did have to survive a last minute ‘scare’ as the ball ended up in their net, but the referee had already whistled for a foul on keeper Marc Maybin.

A welcome 3 points for Ian Gregg’s team but the performance was sub-standard as the manager made clear to his players after the game.

Wakehurst: M Maybin, P Alexander, R Colville, D Stevenson, D Gage, A Laughlin, L McCaughern, M Crawford, R Gregg, J Paul, C Gregg. Subs: S McIlroy, T Cunningham, S McKinney, D Parker, G Mark.