McVeigh nets hat-trick to sink old club Town

Banbridge Town 1

AIDAN McVeigh put his old club to the sword as his hat-trick helped Loughgall to an easy victory over Banbridge Town.

The Villagers proved to be too big and too strong for Colin Malone’s side who, while they can’t be faulted for effort, just weren’t good enough.

That said, the three goals McVeigh scored were all quality finishes and there was nothing David Wilton could have done about any of them.

Banbridge got off to the brightest start and opened the scoring after just three minutes. Mark Teggart played the ball upfield to Mark Whitla and after holding up the ball Dale Malone took up possession and won a corner. Shea McGerrigan, making his league debut for the Town, swung in a high corner, Whitla rose highest and headed home past Marc Robinson.

McGerrigan was looking lively and on nine minutes created a chance for himself by bursting through the defence and shooting straight at Robinson. The veteran goalkeeper spilt his shot but recovered well to clean up the mess.

Loughgall pulled level through McVeigh on 33 minutes. The forward took up possession from Bryan Pentland, turned and hit a shot that bent one way, then another to deceive Wilton. There was nothing the goalkeeper could have done about it.

They could have gone in front five minutes later when a through ball was threaded to Paul McDowell. He was felled on the edge of the box but referee Hetherington allowed play to continue. The ball rolled to Neil Alderdice but his curling shot looped over the crossbar. Again they could have scored through Alderdice on 41 minutes but he headed a Moffatt corner over the bar.

Alderdice had a third opportunity to hand the hosts the lead just after the break when he headed a Marty Lavery corner towards goal, but a Town head got in the road and flicked it onto the crossbar.

The lead eventually came on 51 minutes as McVeigh got on the end of a Pentland ball down the line. He chipped Wilton from the edge of his box, leaving the goalkeeper stranded and with very little, again, that he could do.

McGerrigan missed a glorious chance to equalise on the hour mark when he was put through one on one with Robinson but somehow managed to blast over the crossbar.

McVeigh completed his hat trick on 67 minutes when he fired a shot across Wilton and into the far corner of the net.

The rout was compeleted in stoppage time when substitute Brian Adair struck a well hit shot that was brilliantly saved by Wilton. Another former Town player, Aaron Baker, followed up and scored with the ball taking a deflection off Greg Hall’s head.

LOUGHGALL: Robinson, Peden, Pentland, Alderdice, Murphy, Smith, Moffatt, Hawthorne, McVeigh, McDowell, Lavery. Subs: Adair (Hawthorne 76), Herron, Evans, Baker (Moffatt 76), Brown (McVeigh 84).

BANBRIDGE TOWN: Wilton, Hall, Brady, Copeland, King, McParland, Malone, Teggart, Grant, Whitla, McGerrigan. Subs: McBirney, Walsh (McParland 66), McCartan (Grant 66), Donnelly (Brady 81).

REFEREE: Raymond Hetherington.