Katie Lennon nets the winner in Town Ladies’ friendly

After the two tight leagues games the teams contested last year, it was always sure to be a close encounter again.

The game started at a fast pace with both teams taking turns to attack each other and try to open the scoring.

The breakthrough came after a mix-up between the Banbridge goalkeeper and defence which lead to the Downpatrick player slotting home into the empty net.

This seemed to spur on the Banbridge Ladies who continued to attack and put more pressure on the opposition, which led to the equalizer coming through a solid left-footed strike by Michelle Spence. Downpatrick were unwilling to go into the break equal and once again found the net through a scrappy goal just before the half.

This gave Banbridge the desire to go out and peg their opposition back in the second half and the second equalizer of the night for the Town Ladies came through a penalty awarded after a late challenge in the area. Lauren Thompson stepped up and coolly slotted the ball home, sending the keeper the wrong way.

The game sprung back into life at this point and the end to end football that started the game from both sides returned. BTLFC finally took their first lead of the game after some good work down the right side by Katie Lennon, who laid the ball across the 6-yard box for Tina Brush to find the net.

Banbridge held onto the lead from there and it was a great team performance by everyone involved. The local ladies will take great confidence from this match against a team that they will take on again this year in the newly formed South Division One.

As preseason continues for BTLFC, all new players aged 14+ are more than welcome to come along and join in as they prepare for the new season. It’s a great way to make new friends, try something new and get some exercise. To get in contact, find the club on Facebook or Twitter.