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Pre-Match Guide | Knockbreda 19/04/22

We welcome Knockbreda to Dixon Park tomorrow evening in our next Lough 41 Championship fixture.

Match Info

When: Tuesday 19th April – Kick-Off 7:45pm

Where: Dixon Park

What: Lough 41 Championship

Entry: Pay at the gate – £8 (Adult) / £5 (Concession)

Match Sponsor: Benny Craig & Co.

Ball Sponsor: Ernest Hall Menswear

The Opponents

Knockbreda currently sit bottom of the Lough 41 Championship on goal difference with 30 points alongside Queen’s University. At the weekend, they were edged out by Dundela in a 1-0 defeat at Wilgar Park. After a scoreless first-half, it was the visitors who had the first major opportunity of the game as they were awarded a penalty in the 76th minute. However, after failing to convert from the spot, it was Dundela who took the lead 2 minutes later through a low strike from Eoin Kane which proved to be the only goal of the game.

The Comrades

At the weekend, Benny Igiehon grabbed the only goal of the game as Ards defeated Ballyclare Comrades in a Friday night fixture at Dixon Park. The visitors might have moved in front midway through the first half when Daniel Reynolds did well to send a cross over from the right but Ryan Arthur was on hand to turn the ball over as Igiehon looked poised to pounce. Ross Arthurs then found himself through on goal a short time later but Comrades keeper Richard Purcell did well to deal with the danger. But the deadlock was broken on 37 minutes when Arthurs knocked the ball on into the area with an overhead kick for Igiehon to touch past Purcell under pressure from Adam McCart. Igiehon might have added a second after the break but he couldn’t bring the ball under control in front of goal after Eamon Scannell had crossed from Christopher Crane’s punt forward. Ards were denied a second later in the game when Purcell was called into action to make a double save to keep out substitute Jay Boyd and then Scannell while Ballyclare applied some pressure in the closing stages but couldn’t do enough to force an equaliser.

Last Time Out

The last time these two sides met, Knockbreda twice came from behind to claim a point from The Comrades’ visit to Breda Park. It took the visitors just over a minute to move in front when Owen McKeown won a free-kick which Ian Fletcher delivered into the area for Jason Johnston to nod home. ‘Breda almost levelled straightaway only to hit the crossbar before, just shy of the half-hour mark, skipper Ross McCaughan did equalise with a header past Jack Ferguson. Ballyclare regained the advantage on the hour. Breaking on the counter attack, substitute Ciaran Dobbin ran with the ball almost the full length of the pitch before finding Liam Hassin with a pass who, in turn, cut it back for Dobbin to slide beyond Lewis Deane. However, the home side responded positively once again, and subsequently earned a share of the spoils thanks to Nathan O’Neill’s, who had only been on the pitch for around sixty seconds, 25-yard finish on 72 minutes.