Loughgall United....0 Dergview................4
RYAN ‘Rocket’ Campbell bagged his second hat-trick of the season and Ivan Sproule scored a screamer as the first team, for the second time this season, swept aside Loughgall United with consummate ease. Early in the season Richard Clarke’s charges hit the Armagh side for six at Darragh Park and on Saturday the visitors should have repeated the trick such was their dominance.
Dergview looked in the mood from the off and rarely took their foot of the gas over the course of the 90 minutes. The much-needed win pushes Dergview back up to fifth, five points off leaders Warrenpoint Town and just two behind second-placed Ballyclare Comrades, who were surprisingly beaten at home by Knockbreda.
The Tyrone side showed a real hunger and desire from the first whistle with midfielder Jude Ballard cutting in off the right to fire against the butt of Gareth Buchanan’s left post from 20 yards. Moments later the visitors survived a real scare when United’s left-back Stuart Mallon picked out the run of Warner Mullen but visiting centre-back Shane Porter recovered superbly to deny the striker with a stunning block. That was an inspired piece of defending and, in truth, Dergview never looked back.
Porter, his namesake Gareth, Collie Robinson and Gareth Falconer kept the Loughgall attack well in check while Duwayne McManus, Ballard, Aaron Arkinson and Nathan Cashel ruled the roost in midfield. Up front the Campbell-Sproule combo ran the Loughgall rearguard ragged as Clarke’s troops went in search of an early goal.
Cashel had a shot deflected over, Campbell curled above the crossbar, in the wake of enterprising play by McManus and a clever step-over by Cashel, before the visitors opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 19 minutes. Following yet another mesmerising attack, Arkinson ushered in Cashel on the left, who, after cutting onto his favoured right foot, was tripped by defender Graham Taylor. Campbell duly converted to send the visitors on their way.
Shortly afterwards a superb glancing header by Cashel was clawed out by Buchanan before Campbell had a similar effort from a Falconer cross ruled out for offside. Falconer, too, picked out the run of Arkinson but a poor first touch let the midfielder down as he sliced through the home rearguard. But a second goal was on the cards and it duly arrived before the break. Gareth Porter, Sproule, Ballard and McManus were all involved before a deft touch by Cashel put Campbell in to volley home from close range.
Moments later Campbell should have completed his hat-trick when scooping over an inviting cross from the marauding Gareth Porter, who limped off late on to be replaced by Richard Lynch. For Loughgall there was no let up on the resumption of the new half as Buchanan produced another blinding save to thwart Cashel after a swift inter-change of passes by Sproule, McManus and Ballard.
On 64 minutes Campbell secured the match ball with his 13th goal of the season. Ballard was again instrumental, Cashel provided the killer pass and Campbell skipped down the right channel to apply the finish. That effectively extinguished the Loughgall challenge as Buchanan did well to thwart the overlapping Falconer before the Loughgall ’keeper, not for the first time, denied Cashel.
Shane Porter then headed just over before Loughgall’s Marc McConnell broke on the counter attack but the attacker’s finish failed to match his excellent approach play.
Back at the opposite end Sproule had a goal chalked off for offside, however the former Linfield man wasn’t to be denied and with five minutes remaining he controlled a pinpoint cross from Kyle Friel-Curran before spectacularly volleying to the roof of the net from the edge of the area.
The sight of Richard Lecky coming off the substitutes’ bench capped a perfect afternoon for the visiting supporters. The big striker is continuing to build his fitness on his long-overdue return from injury.
Loughgall: Buchanan, Devlin, Mallen, Taylor, Hudson, Dallas, Upritchard, McCann, Mullen, Patterson, McConnell subsCampbell (replaced Patterson 40), Gould (replaced Upritchard 83), Henderson (not used), Herron (not used)
Dergview: Mulcahy, G. Porter, Falconer, S. Porter, Robinson, Ballard, McManus, Arkinson, Cashel, I. Sproule, Campbell subs M. Buchanan (not used), Lynch (replaced G. Porter 75), Burns (not used), Curran (replaced Campbell 79), Lecky (replaced Arkinson 79)
Referee: Jamie Robinson
