The visitors started the stronger and had a good chance in the ninth minute when the home defence was opened up and the ball was played to Robinson in an excellent position inside the area. However, his resulting shot was saved by Lewis Deane.
Ballymacash continued to look the more threatening side. On 28 minutes they had another good opportunity when a ball over the top found Cakaj in space at the edge of the box, but Lewis Deane was out quickly to make an important block.
A big moment in the game occurred in the 32nd minute with a sending off for the visitors. Dylan O’Kane played the ball forward finding Lewis Mearns running towards the box. Ballymacash keeper Ritchie rushed out of his box and as Mearns tried to knock the ball over him, he blocked the ball with his arm. The referee had no hesitation in giving Ritchie a red card.
Three minutes later Comrades created a good chance to open the scoring when the ball was played through to Lewis Mearns inside the box, but he delayed momentarily in shooting, allowing a defender to make a goal-saving tackle.
On 37 minutes Ballymacash almost snatched the lead. A high ball played into the box was controlled by Lightbody who rounded the keeper, but off-balance couldn’t steer the ball inside the post.
The second half opened with Comrades still struggling to create chances against a resolute ten men. Only a snapshot from the edge of the area hit by Ryan McMenemy in the 56th minute tested the stand-in Ballymacash ‘keeper.
Whilst play was largely towards the visitors’ goal Ballymacash still posed a threat at the other end. On 73 minutes they came close to scoring when Cakaj took advantage of indecision in the home defence to get behind and attempt a lob over keeper Deane who had to be at full stretch to tip the ball over the bar. Then, from the resulting corner, Robinson glanced a header just wide.
In the closing stages of the match Comrades ramped up the pressure. In the 82nd minute they had a great chance when Ryan McMememy played the ball low across the goal to the far post to find Lewis Mearns, but his sliding effort went wide of the target.
The breakthrough came at last on 86 minutes. A ball played into the box eluded the visitors defence and was volleyed home by substitute Zach Anderson from four yards out to send Dixon Park wild.
Comrades played out the remaining minutes without any scares to secure an important and hard-fought win.
Many thanks to match sponsor Montgomery Transport and ball sponsor MH Motors.
