We welcome Dergview to Dixon Park tomorrow afternoon in our next Lough 41 Championship fixture.
Match Info
When: Saturday 12th March – Kick-Off 3:00pm
Where: Dixon Park
What: Lough 41 Championship
Entry: Pay at the gate – £8 (Adult) / £5 (Concession)
Match Sponsor: Beechview Developments
Ball Sponsor: Antrim & Newtownabbey Sports Forum
The Opponents
Dergview are right in the thick of top-6 battle, sitting in 7th position, just 3 points behind Ards in 6th with a game-in-hand. Last week, Dergview and Knockbreda battled to an equal share of the points and goals in a high scoring encounter at Darragh Park. The visitors moved in front after just six minutes through former Comrades forward, Ciaran Heggarty, but the home side levelled soon after courtesy of Jamie Brown’s finish. Tommy Canning’s side then seized the lead themselves midway through the first half when Matthew Kirk converted from the spot but Heggarty bagged his second of the game not long after the break to bring ‘Breda back level. And the east Belfast side thought they had secured the points when, four minutes from time, another former Comrades player, Liam McKenna knocked home their third with a low shot on the counter attack but, in the end, it finished honours even when Mikhail Kennedy scored five minutes into stoppage time.
The Comrades
The Comrades conceded a late sucker punch during the week as Conor Kerr struck deep into stoppage time to secure a point for Loughgall from Ballyclare Comrades’ visit to Lakeview Park. The visitors, playing under caretaker boss Chris Ramsey following Paul Harbinson’s recent departure, moved in front after half-an-hour under Liam Hassin. But their hopes of picking up only their second victory since the start of November were dashed in the 95th minute were dashed when Kerr popped up to equalise for the Villagers.
Last Time Out
The last time these two sides met, two goals midway through the second half saw Dergview defeat Ballyclare Comrades at Darragh Park. Scoreless at the break, Ballyclare came close to open the scoring on a number of occasions. Ciaran Heggarty flashed a header just wide early on before turning provider to tee up Gary Donnelly to send a 20-yard effort the wrong side of the target. Heggarty continued to be a threat, with another header coming from a Lee McCune cross while, early in the second half, he twice tested Dergview keeper Alan Buchanan albeit with no success. However, that all counted for nothing on 67 minutes when the home side moved in front courtesy of Cathal Farren’s successfully converted spot-kick. Then, just six minutes after that, it was 2-0 after a good team move teed Matthew Kirk up to beat Richard Purcell with a sublime finish.
