Comrades had to settle for a point against Knockbreda in match where they rarely hit the heights.

The visitors started confidently and took an early lead in the 6^th minute when Ethan Devine got onto the ball 25 yards out and struck a great effort which found the top corner of the net, giving the ‘keeper no chance.

Knockbreda continued to look the sharper side for the first half hour and had chances to increase their lead. On 12 minutes the ball fell to Whiteway from a corner, but his effort from 6 yards rose over the bar. Then on 20 minutes Comrades failed to clear effectively and the ball was played back into the box where Rea got to it and attempted to cushion a volley over Jack Ferguson from 11 yards. However, the home ‘keeper managed to get his fingertips to the ball and turned it over the bar.

In the latter part of the half the hosts began to come into the game at last and it was from their first real piece of dangerous attacking play that they got an equaliser in the 37^th minute. Andrew Mooney did very well to beat a defender on the by-line before laying the ball back in a crowded box towards Liam McKenna 8 yards out. McKenna got not the cleanest of strikes on the ball, but it went in off the inside of the post despite the efforts of the ‘keeper to prevent it crossing the line.

A minute later and suddenly Comrades were in front. Good play by Adam Gray saw him run at the Knockbreda defence and play in a great ball from the left edge of the box which was met by a firm header from 6 yards by Liam McKenna who was again the man in the right position to score.

The home side went in at the break with a lead, but they couldn’t hold onto it for long into the second half. Eight minutes in Knockbreda levelled the scores when a ball played in from the right was controlled well by Rea who swivelled and planted it into the bottom corner of the net from 8 yards.

Three minutes later, Comrades had a chance when Ciarán Dobbin played Adam Gray though in the box, but his resulting shot from a difficult angle went over from 10 yards.

The host were then fortunate in the 58^th minute when a mad scramble in the box looked likely to lead to a goal for the visitors, but after a number of attempts, some desperate blocks, and a good save from Jack Ferguson the ball was eventually cleared.

Neither team did enough in the rest of the half to take the points with defences generally in control, although there were some half chances.

In the 65^th minute Jack Ferguson had to fly across his goal to turn wide a McGreevy shot from just outside the box.

On 76 minutes Gary Donnelly flashed a shot from 35 yards just over the bar for the home side.

The visitors were reduced to ten men in the 88^th minute when McCaughan was sent off for protesting too vehemently to the referee during an incident, but it was too late to have much impact on the game.

The only effort the hosts could muster in the remaining time was four minutes into injury-time, with almost the last kick of the game, when Howard Beverland just ran out of room at the far post trying to get on the end of a Liam McKenna free kick and his effort went wide.