Seconds see off Grads with late Collins strike

THIS was another tough game on Saturday with the third meeting between the two teams this season with Dromara winning the three encounters by the odd goal.

The home side started well and it looked like it could be a better performance than of late. Collins found himself in on goal but seemed to lose his bearings and he did not even get his shot away with a defender getting back to clear.

The away side grew into the proceedings and they won a few corners and with them being a big side were dangerous from these.The home defence managed to clear their lines on these occasions and they took the lead after ten minutes when keeper Armstrongs long kick beat the defence and Collins with his pace nipped in and slotted past the keeper.

With a few influential players missing again Dromara’s play became ragged and from then to half time the performance was very poor with misplaced passes.

Queens deservedly got level when a break down the right saw a ball pulled back to the edge of the box and their forward pulled away from his marker and hit a great shot into the roof of the net.

At half time there was some stern words from manager Gormley and he was hoping for a reaction from his team in the second half.In the first few minutes Devlin saw an effort cleared of the line and Collins went close just putting his effort wide.

Queens kept plugging away and they forced plenty of corners again, but Kerr and his centre back partner Phil Neil cleared everything that was thrown into the box.

Collins then beat his marker in the box but from a tight angle his shot struck the outside of the post.It looked like it was going to be a couple of points dropped but one moment of magic from Collins secured the three points.

He again broke into the box and he twisted and turned two defenders inside out before finding the bottom corner to the relief of his team mates.Young McDonald and McNally came on in the second half and both did very well and it was a matter of seeing the match out as it was a difficult encounter.In the second half keeper Armstrong and the back four all played their part as it was not one of their best attacking displays of the season.

Team: Armstrong, Penney, Kerr, P Neil, Hamilton, Devlin (McNally), Carmichael, Hughes, Mitchell (McDonald), Collins, S Neil.