Knockbreda... 1
Dergview....... 2
TEN-man Dergview conjured up a dramatic stoppage-time winner at Knockbreda to move up to fifth in Championship One.
With some 10 minutes remaining Nathan Cashel saw red for allegedly kicking out but it didn’t stop Richard Clarke’s charges finishing with a flourish to bank maximum points.
In one final throw of the dice the Co Tyrone visitors launched a sweeping attack with Kyle Friel-Curran picking out Aaron Arkinson who scampered through to steer the ball past the advancing goalkeeper.
Just seven days earlier Dergview conceded a last-gasp winner against Larne but Clarke was delighted that the shoe was on the foot on this occasion.
“I’m delighted for the players. They stood up to be counted and I’m proud of the effort they put in,” he said.
Against Knockbreda the Darragh Park men had to do it the hard way.
Midway through the first half defender Matthew Buchanan was harshly penalised for a foul on a ‘Breda attacker and Mark Cooling slotted coolly past Kealan Mulcahy.
Dergview responded and it was no surprise when former Hibs professional Sproule squared the game. Ryan Campbell galloped free on the right and crossed to the back post for Sproule to take on touch before slotting home.
The visitors now had the bit between their teeth as Campbell arrowed a snap shot inches wide from all off 30 yards. Knockbreda presented a real threat at the set piece however the Derg defence was in no mood to concede with Mulcahy also making his presence felt with a number of excellent punched clearances.
But in the final third it was the visitors who carried the greater threat. On one occasion around the hour mark Lecky and Campbell pulled wide for Arkinson to stroll through the middle only to be denied by the home net-minder.
Cashel’s sending off appeared to have thrown a spanner in the works by handing the initiative to Gareth Scates’s team. Dergview though had other ideas and right at the death they conjured up a brilliant team goal.
Initially Duwayne McManus and substititute Philip Wallace were both involved, Friel-Curran’s perfectly-weighted pass picked out the run of Arkinson, who latched on and coolly slotted home for a welcome three points.
The win – Dergview’s seventh of the season – takes them to within four points of second placed Institute, who they host at Darragh Park on Boxing Day.
