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Tue 14 Sep - 19:45 | Dixon Park

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Ballyclare Comrades

0-4

Linfield

Fallon 27', 50', Green 67', Chadwick 86'

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Tue 14 Sep - 19:45 | Dixon Park

cropped-BCFC-Crest-500px.png

0-4

webcrest-linfield-300x300

Ballyclare Comrades

Linfield

Fallon 27', 50', Green 67', Chadwick 86'

MATCH SPONSOR

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BALL SPONSOR

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Pre-Match Guide

We invite Danske Bank Premiership Champions Linfield to Dixon Park tomorrow evening in the 2nd round of the Bet McLean League Cup.

Match Info

When: Tuesday 14th September – Kick-Off 7:45pm

Where: Dixon Park

What: Bet McLean League Cup 2nd Round

Entry: Pay at the gate – £8 (adult) / £5 (concession) (U12 free entry with paying adult)

A reminder to season ticket holders that season tickets are not valid for cup games.

All supporters should be aware that there will be a strict gate policy; anyone leaving the ground during the game (including at half time) will not be able to get back into the ground.

Match Sponsor: Simpson Developments

Ball Sponsor: Ballyclare Fuels

The Opponents

Linfield come to Dixon Park following a 3-2 victory over Portadown in the Danske Bank Premiership at the weekend. They had to twice come from behind as Portadown led 2-1 at the break. Back came Linfield, however, on 67 minutes with Matt Green’s first goal for the club after he met Kirk Millar’s cross to turn it beyond Doherty. It then fell to Manzinga to claim the win for the visitors with five minutes to go when he got past a defender before unleashing a powerful drive into the net to grab his second of the game. The Blues have only played two league games with games being called off due to players away on international duty.

The Comrades

The Comrades got back to winning ways on Saturday with a 3-1 victory away to Queen’s University in the Lough 41 Championship. Three goals in the final 20 minutes helped Paul Harbinson’s men overcome the Students at the Dub. Liam McKenna once again popped up with the goods as he broke the deadlock with a 25-yard drive into the top corner. Ciaran Heggarty got his first league goal for the club just seven minutes later when the ball was slipped through to him and he confidently put the ball into the roof of the net. The students did pull one back before Ballyclare restored their two-goal cushion in stoppage time when Andrew Mooney knocked home the rebound after Adam Gray saw his initial penalty saved. Speaking on the upcoming game, Comrades skipper, Chris Ramsey said “It’s going to be a tough game. Linfield are the best team in the country, they’ve proved that over the last load of years and it’ll be tough for us. But we go into it with no pressure on us, we just have to go out and work hard and listen to how we’re being told to set up and if we stick to our shape, hopefully we can pull-off a bit of a surprise result.”

Last Time Out

The last time these two sides met in a competitive fixture was in the Irish Cup 5th Round in January 2019. A second-half goal from former Comrades player, Joel Cooper, was the only difference between the two sides on the day as Linfield progressed to the next round with a 1-0 victory at Windsor Park. Due to some heroic defending, the Comrades made it in at the break with the scores level at 0-0. Early in the second-half, Adam Gray had Ballyclare’s best chance of the game as a powerful shot from outside the box had Linfield ‘keeper, Roy Carroll, scrambling; the experienced international ‘keeper eventually got the ball under control though after his initial save bounced back into danger. Linfield’s persistence paid off as Casement’s deflected cross found the head of Andy Waterworth who flicked it on to Cooper and he headed in. The game finished 1-0 and Linfield progressed to the 6th round where they would face Crusaders.

Teams

Match Report

Comrades exited the Bet McClean League Cup under the lights at Dixon Park against the class of league champions Linfield.

From the outset the visitors controlled the ball, pressing the hosts back for long periods. Their first chance came in the 5th minute when a cross played into the box found the head of Larkin whose header from 8 yards was saved by the well-positioned Richard Purcell.

The hard-working Comrades team managed to frustrate Linfield for a spell, whilst themselves trying to mount occasional attacks on the break, but the visitors always looked capable of producing danger when they went forward.

On 26 minutes a great solo run from Hume ended with him firing a firm shot on target from the edge of the box which Richard Purcell did well to save low inside the post. However, a minute later there was nothing the ‘keeper could do to prevent Linfield taking the lead when Fallon fired a superb strike from 25 yards which flew into the top corner of the net.

The Blues continued to dominate for the rest of the first half and came close to adding to their lead. First, on 33 minutes, a Clarke cross was met by a looping header from 14 yards by Fallon which clipped the top of the crossbar. Then, six minutes later, Donnelly’s cross was met by a header from Green from 8 yards which Purcell did very well to turn onto the post

Comrades’ forays into the Linfield box had been limited, but on 41 minutes they had a half-chance when the ball broke to Liam McKenna and he slammed an effort towards goal from 15 yards, however a defender managed to get in a good block.

Seconds before the half-time whistle the host had another sniff of a chance when Liam McKenna hit a great ball over the Linfield defence for Joe Tully to run onto. Linfield ‘keeper Johns came out to try to clear and missed the ball, but a defender just managed to get to it first before the Comrades striker could knock it towards the open net.

The second half continued with the visitors pressing forward and dominating possession. Inside two minutes from the restart they created a great chance when Palmer slid the ball through to Donnelly who looked set to score from the edge of the 6-yard box but fired his effort over the bar.

It wasn’t long however before Linfield grabbed their second goal. In the 50th minute Comrades were exposed by an attack down the right which ended with Fallon darting into the box and squeezing a shot into the net from a tight angle.

Linfield put the outcome of the game beyond doubt with a third goal on 62 minutes. After an impressive move Fallon’s low ball across the box was converted by a finish from Green from 5 yards at the back post.

The visitors continued to attack a beleaguered Comrades defence. On 68 minutes Millar was unlucky to see his fine effort struck from just outside the box come off the bar.

Five minutes later Green had a great chance to add to the score but somehow missed getting his head on the ball in front of goal after a great cross from Salam.

The visitors sealed a comprehensive win in the 86th minute, when Chadwick ran into the box, eluded a desperate challenge and slotted the ball past the ‘keeper from 8 yards.

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