Dergview... 1
Institute..... 1
THERE was late drama at Darragh Park in the first ever North West Boxing Day derby as it finished honours even between the first team and neighbours Institute.
With both teams already reduced to 10 men following the sendings off of Dergview's Ivan Sproule (7) and visiting skipper Stephen O'Donnell (40) this derby clash burst into life in the final 10 minutes when Stute were awarded a disputed penalty kick.
Left-back Garth Falconer was harshly adjudged to have pushed over Stephen Curry but keeper Keelan Mulcahy rode superbly to the rescue by saving Gareth Brown's spot-kick before leaping to his feet to keep out Ciaron Harkin's follow-up.
Having survived Dergview then grabbed what they thought was an 89th minute winner. Substitute Kyle Friel-Curran galloped clear on the right and picked out fellow replacement Philip Wallace with a low centre. Wallace took one touch to evade the challenge of a defender before burying the ball into the bottom right hand corner of Marty Gallagher's net.
Dergview's celebrations though were cut short when less than a minute later Curry's dangerous low centre from the left was turned into his own net by the unfortunate Mattie Buchanan with Jamie McIntyre breathing down his neck.
In the end a draw was a fair outcome although first team boss Richard Clarke was disappointed that victory had been snatched from their grasp in the final act. Mind you when Sproule got sent off for catching Ryan Morrow with a flailing arm just seven minutes in Clarke may well have settled for a share of the spoils.
But the 10 men of Dergview dug in as keeper Mulcahy did well to save a Mark Scoltock header. That apart though opportunities were few and far between and five minutes before the half referee Declan Hassan evened up the numbers by showing Stute skipper O'Donnell a second yellow for a deliberate pull on Blaine Burns.
And Dergview thought they had grabbed the lead moments later when Ryan Campbell's effort was ruled for offside after a Jude Ballard effort had come back off a post. Initially the second half was something of a slow burner and it wasn't until both teams rolled the dice that things livened up and culminated in that dramatic conclusion.
Jamie McIntyre and Curry entered the fray for the visitors while Richard Lecky, Friel-Curran and Wallace all raced off the bench for the hosts as both sides played an attacking hand in a bid to nick the win. Mulcahy then came up trumps with his splendid double save to thwart Brown and Harkin before Wallace wheeled away in celebration after firing Dergview in front with moments remaining.
But there was to be a sting in the tail. The hosts temporarily switched off, Curry made good ground on the left to whip over a low cross which cannoned into the net off the unlucky Buchanan.
