Slane slam five past Lurgan Town

The pitch was in mint condition as the game kicked off and the home team started well with Gregg Harrison firing wide when put through on the right.

After a series of corners, Johnny Kernaghan delivered the ball into the box and Ryan Shilliday rose highest to thunder his header into the net.

The next major incident was a sending off for the away team when their player received a second yellow for a robust challenge from behind on Neil Taylor.

Slane had 2 great opportunities to extend the lead when Johnny Kernaghan and Gregg Harrison both went through 1v1 with the away keeper but just failed to find the net.

Stephen White our net stopper had to be alert to save a good strike from the edge of the box.

The away keeper then back peddled well to push a Gareth Rees shot over the bar.

Despite having 10 men Lurgan Town came out with purpose in the second half and had Slane on the back foot.

10 minutes in it was all square when a cross from the left was side footed home by an unmarked striker.

This gave the home team a shake and they responded well and it wasn’t long before the lead was restored when Gregg Harrison slipped a lovely ball past the last defender for Ritchie Nesbit to run on and slot past the advancing keeper.

Soon after Ritchie Nesbitt had his second when he expertly curled the ball into the top corner from 16 yards.

Ally Quinn came on for Neil Taylor at left back. It was all Slane and it became 4 when Ritchie Nesbitt poked the ball home from a right wing cross.

While the away team kept pushing the Slane front players were dominant. Gregg Harrison then fired over form 12 yards when well placed.

Then from a short corner Johnny Kernaghan played a lovely ball to the back post where Ryan Shilliday rose unchallenged to head home and leave the final score 5-1 to Moneyslane.

Manager David Johnstone said: “It was great to get back to league action and encouraging to get such a positive result.

“While Lurgan Town had their moments in the game I felt we totally dominated the last 30 minutes of the game and we could have scored more.

“It was nice for young Shilliday to score two.

“I do want to give a special mention to Ritchie Nesbitt who deserves a great deal of praise following the registration debacle.

“Ritchie has now scored a hatrick in both the league games he has played and to be honest I am still smarting that the MUFL forced us in error to not play him in the narrow defeat to Windmill Stars FC when clearly there was no justification for it.

“While we won the appeal those league points are gone and Ritchie would have made a difference in that game.”

Team: Stevie White, Steve Coulter, Neil Taylor, Ryan Shilliday, Darragh Peden, Mark Ervine, Ritchie Nesbitt, Gregg Harrison, Gareth Rees, Brian Quilty and Johnny Kernaghan

Subs: Ally Quinn, Jonny Gibson, Mark Anderson and Gareth Bingham

Moneyslane play Seagoe FC this Saturday at Jubilee Park in another league game.

Moneyslane have been away to Downshire YM FC in round two of the Irish Cup.

The match will take place on Saturday 3 October, with a 1.30pm kick off at the Old coach Road in Hillsborough.