Match reports 08/09
Missed chances proves costly for Kilroot
10/01/09
KILROOT REC,0
SANTOS,2
SOME wayward finishing cost Kilroot Rec dear as they tumbled to this two goal home defeat by one of the best footballing sides to visit Beltoy this season, Santos.
With Terry Thomas away in Liverpool, it was his trusted lieutenant Jimmy Johnston who was holding the fort and concluded afterwards “we need our shooting boots on, and at times our final ball wasn’t great. We just can’t keep blaming it on the lack of goals on the injury to young Christopher Shimmon. We need to sharpen up the shooting, make better use of the ball and have a bit more belief – but once again, you couldn’t fault the effort, they battled hard all day!”
Kilroot had their chances, with Wallace Nelson failing to hit the target in a rehearsed corner routine, while Rob Armstrong stormed through but failed to trouble the keeper.
Instead, it was Santos who showed the way, profiting from a mix up on 33 minutes.
Rec had chances through Nelson and Brian Anderson after the break, but it was really all over once substitute Robbie Kennedy nodded the ball over his own keeper, Gordon Priestley.
Santos, too, could have added a third in the last minute, after an alleged handling offence by Robert McKee, but Priestley superbly saved the resultant penalty, taken by his opposite number.
Kilroot Rec; Priestley – Preuss (Kennedy), Hannan, R McKee, B Meek (Ross) – Kernaghan, R Armstrong, Tinsley, Craig (Adair) – Anderson, Nelson.
Kilroot slip up against Wesley
28/02/09
KILROOT REC 0,
WESLEY 2
CERTAINLY not the sort of return to the ‘big pitch’ at Beltoy Kilroot Rec would have wished for, as they surprisingly slipped up at the hands of bottom club Wesley.
Manager Terry Thomas wasn't at all happy afterwards, classing it as “our worst performance of the season. We were trying to use the width of the big pitch, and create chances but we didn’t play as a team. There was no pattern, or no constructive play, they treated the ball like a hot potato. Maybe they thought it was going to be too easy, against the team bottom of the league, and went out with the wrong attitude. Wesley showed what you could do if you’re right organized and if only our boys had shown half the commitment. But it could be the kick up the backside they need, and it shows them they have to work harder – and some of our boys need to have a good look at themselves”.
Perhaps it might have turned out differently had Brian Anderson’s free kick on 15 minutes not tested the strength of the carpentry. Rob Armstrong, too, had a goal controversially scrubbed out, for what must have been a debatable offside decision.
Instead it was the Lisburn side who showed the way, getting the lucky break that had eluded Rec, with the ball clipping off the heel of the referee, falling nicely for a Wesley man out on the right, who coolly lifted it over the head of keeper Gordon Priestley from all of 30 yards.
The second half was very much more of the same, but even the introduction of all three substitutes and going three at the back couldn’t do the trick for Kilroot – and it was beyond Terry Thomas’ troops once Wesley secured that precious safety valve ten minutes from time. Again there was a hint of good fortune about the goal, as the ball set up nicely for the goalscorer, after bouncing off Darren Todd’s back.
Next Saturday, it’s back to Beltoy for the visit of fourth bottom Rooftop.
Kilroot return to winning ways
07/03/09
KILROOT REC 6,
ROOFTOP 2,
Scorers:- P.Meek, C.Shimmon 2, B.Anderson 2, O.G
KILROOT Rec bounced back to form after that worrying walloping by Wesley a week earlier, comfortably seeing off Shore Road side Rooftop at Beltoy.
If may have eventually looked like a ‘slating’ for Rooftop, but Kilroot weren’t
getting everything their own way in the early stages, with Christopher Shimmon twice denied by the visitors’ keeper, while Brian Anderson fired one just wide.
Instead it was Rooftop who showed the way on 22 minutes; a simple enough finish after Gordon Priestley lost his footing whilst taking a goal kick, thereby spooning the ball straight to an unforgiving visitors’ frontman.
Three minutes later, it was Gordon’s opposite number who blotted his copy book, pawing a Wallace Nelson in swinger into his own net, after pulling off an excellent save to defy Shimmon, to conceded the corner in the first place.
Rec edged in front on 29 minutes when all rounder Anderson showed great strength in shouldering off the defender before lifting Barry Meek’s long punt over the head of the advancing keeper.
The Carrick boys widened the margin on 33 minutes when Shimmon finally got his reward, scoring at the second time of asking, after his first effort had been parried by the keeper; Colin Adair having produced the telling pass.
Four minutes later, Shimmon was celebrating again, nodding the ball in, after Philip Meek had fastened onto a long clearance from keeper Priestley.
Four-one up at the break, Kilroot had already produced the response manager Terry Thomas has asked for, and with weather conditions worsening, it was perhaps not unexpected that the second half would be something of an anti climax.
Rec stirred briefly again on the hour when Philip Meek marked his first team call up, curling a cross from younger sibling Barry into the far corner.
Rooftop scrambled in a second on 80 minutes, but appropriately it was Kilroot who had the final say, when the visitors’ keeper was beaten by an innocent enough looking Anderson free kick which was held up in the breeze.
Next Saturday, Kilroot face a tough trip to league leaders Iveagh United.
Late winner lifts Kilroot spirits
14/03/09
IVEAGH UNITED 1
KILROOT REC 2
Scorers:- P.Meek,D Todd
It looks as though the two goal home defeat two weeks ago by then bottom side Wesley was just the kick up the backside Kilroot Rec, as on Saturday, they won away at the side then top of Division 2B, Iveagh United.
Kilroot started off brightly enough, with Brian Anderson spring the offside trap after only five minutes, forcing a fine save out of the United keeper.
Anderson came out second best with the keeper again 12 minuted later, when his back post header, from a Paul Hannon cross, was tipped over the bar.
Instead, though, it was Iveagh who opened the scoring on the half hour, when a hopeful free kick caused some indecision between defenders Darren Todd and Robert McKee, allowing the home forward to strike the ball past the helpless Gordon Priestley.
Kilroot, nevertheless, kept plugging away and seven minutes later a Christopher Shimmon header, from a Wallace Nelson corner, was tipped over the bar. On 40 minutes, Rob Armstrong released Anderson who again was deprived by the keeper in a one on one.
At the other end, Iveagh minght have extended their lead when their right winger pulled the ball back for a forward to hoist high over the bar.
Then just two minutes from the break, Philip Meek played the ball through nicely for Shimmon to turn smartly, but drill his shot against the post. And right on half time, a Shimmon free kick crashed off the wall, falling nicely for Anderson who was again foiled by the keeper.
Kilroot were thus unlucky to be behind at the break, though they lived dangerously just after the turnaround, where Iveagh were unable to turn the ball in amid a goalmouth scramble.
It was the game's defining moment a let off for Kilroot, and they certainly made the most of their reprieve; immediately lashing the ball right down the field where Nelson found Shimmon whose cross was smacked home by Philip Meek.
For a spell after that, it was mostly a midfield battle, until the 75 minute when the home keeper again staved off the persistent Anderson in a one on one.
On 83 minutes, Kilroot thought they should have had a penalty, when Shimmon was brought down inside the box, fastening onto a left wing cross from lively substitute Michael Deignan.
Terry Thomas' lads, though werren't to be denied, as two minutes later the Iveagh netminder made his only blemish of the afternoon, punching a corner right up into the air, when it came down and in off 'Todd's knee.
Somehow, the referee added on 8 minutes of second half stoppage time, but in that period it was Kilroot who came closest, with the Iveagh keeper again saving with distinction, after Shimmon had got onto the end of a Nelson cross.
Kilrooty Rec; Priestley - Hannan,(Deignan) Todd, R McKee, B Meek - P Meek, Adiar, Armstrong
, Nelson - Shimmon, Anderson . Subs (unused) Mcilwane, Kerr | 
