Belfast Telegraph Championship 2

Annagh United 1 (Waddell og) Moyola Park 2 (Dowie 2)

Moyola travelled to Portadown on Saturday for a Belfast Telegraph Championship 2 game with Annagh United.  The previous league game between the two teams saw the visitors on that occasion win 7-2 and Mervyn Pattison and his players were looking for a much better performance as the third and fourth placed teams met at a windswept Tandragee Road.

The game took the opening ten minutes to settle down before efforts from Stretton and Black respectively.  Nesbitt shot wide from a corner as each Annagh attack looked hampered by the wind. Following a Shea Campbell effort on the half hour Strettons cross was turned into the net by Moyola’s Waddell as Annagh took a slender half time lead.

Within five minutes of the restart Acheson’s header tested Farniok and his counterpart Fox saved well when Healy went through one on one. Annagh were thankful on 55 minutes when Dowies wind assisted drive hit the bar, Annaghs Steven Park went straight up the other end of the pitch and seen his goal bound effort deflected wide. Moyola sub Gallagher nearly made an immediate impact as his first touch was a shot well saved by Fox. The sides were level on 64 minutes when Dowie latched onto a poor pass by Gardiner and finished low past Fox. Two minutes later Shea Campbell sent his free kick over the bar and Gallagher dragged his shot wide just after. The last ten minutes seen both teams push for a winner, Matty Brown and Shea Campbell had their chance for the home side and Dowies free kick went just over on 85 minutes. The Moyola front man didn’t give up
after that though, on 90 minutes he grabbed the winner for his side as he beat the offside trap to
take down a long ball and beat the onrushing Fox which took his tally to 25 goals.

This was a great battling performance by the visitors in difficult conditions and they will be pleased to come away with the three points which sees them move above Annagh into third place. 
Moyola: Farniok, McAllister, Stewart, Waddell, McQuillan, Gray, Black, Lucas, Taggart, Dowie, Healy. Subs: Barrow, Gallagher, McCabe, Kelly, Bradley.