Pre-season form has deserted U16s after late collapse to Midway

Banbridge Town Juniors U16’s Lisburn League team were knocked out of the Lisburn Shield on Saturday morning following a 3-0 defeat to Newry outfit Midway at Havelock Park.
Banbridge Town Juniors Under-16s Lisburn League team pictured in their new kit kindly sponsored by Arthur Downey & Co Solicitors.
Included is back left, Martin Morgan coach, Freddie Scappaticci manager, Ken Hughes coach and Conleth Downey from Arthur Downey & Co Solicitors.Banbridge Town Juniors Under-16s Lisburn League team pictured in their new kit kindly sponsored by Arthur Downey & Co Solicitors.
Included is back left, Martin Morgan coach, Freddie Scappaticci manager, Ken Hughes coach and Conleth Downey from Arthur Downey & Co Solicitors.
Banbridge Town Juniors Under-16s Lisburn League team pictured in their new kit kindly sponsored by Arthur Downey & Co Solicitors. Included is back left, Martin Morgan coach, Freddie Scappaticci manager, Ken Hughes coach and Conleth Downey from Arthur Downey & Co Solicitors.

Although the score-line seems a comfortable victory for Midway, they were made to work extremely hard for 50 minutes to earn their place in the next round.

The first half was a tense affair with neither side creating too many clear cut chances.

Byrne and Rafferty had the best of the Town’s opportunities but were denied by some good goalkeeping and some rugged defending.

Midway were forced to shoot from long range and Leckey in the Town goal was never in too much trouble.

The second half began a lot better for the Town after the introduction of three subs and the Juniors began to ask some serious questions of the Midway back four. Fearon and McCann both went close after good strong runs.

However, 20 minutes into the second half, the Town got hit with a sucker punch out of the blue when Midway broke down the right hand side and the cross was converted at the back post.

The Town hadn’t time to draw breath when Midway added two more in the final ten minutes to close the game out and send Banbridge crashing out of the Shield.

Again the Town have failed to produce their pre-season clinical attacking football and can be disappointed not to have taken something out of the game when there only looked to be one winner for much of the second half.

Next week, the Juniors face Lisburn Rangers at Cheney Park, where three points and a league win will be vital.

TOWN JUNIORS: Colin Leckey, Ryan Devlin, Paul Morgan, Jason Ellison, Cormac Downey, Jamie McAtamney, Danny McKinstry, James McCann, Owen Byrne, Michael Rafferty, William Irwin, Gavin Fearon, Odhran McKibben, Padraig Fitzsimmons

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