On Last Saturday Killymoon Rangers Reserves consolidated their top six position in Mid-Ulster Reserve Division One with a deserved two goal victory over Derryhirk, completing an impressive sequence of three wins and three draws in the last six fixtures.

Despite the loss of five players from the Seapatrick victory two weeks ago due to first team call ups and work committements the Reserves started brightly against a well organised and robust Derryhirk side. Managers Warwick and Fluke set the team up to try and get an early goal to unsettle the Lurgan side and to try and finish the game off early in poor conditions underfoot. Despite playing against a strong wind in the first half the Reserves could and should have powered into the lead with great chances falling to the three-pronged strike force of Peter Sloan, Mustafa Kaplan and Johnny Scott. All three could have opened the scoreline with a bit more composure and a bit of luck as the Reserves took the game to their Lurgan counterparts. The back three of Alan Fluke, Mark Freeburn and Brian Smith had to be at their best in front of keeper Steven McKernan as Derryhirk came more into the game towards the end of the first half. McKernan pulled off a good save just before half-time after a slip by a Killymoon defender in central defence, Derryhirk's only real chance of the half.

Into the second half with the wind on their backs Killymoon continued to dominate possession and create the clearer openings. On the hour mark a head injury to leading goal-scorer Johnny Scott turned the game. Scott was knocked unconscious as he bravely tried to close down a clearance from the Derryhirk goal-keeper. When he regained consciousness he couldn't continue. Marty McCormack moved up front alongside Kaplan and Sloan with Jeff Hall filling the midfield position despite carrying an ankle injury which had kept him on the sidelines for the last seven weeks. Within five minutes of the change Killymoon took the deserved lead through Marty McCormack, who calmly slotted home from fifteen yards with twenty-five minutes left in the game. Mustafa Kaplan nearly hit the second from a header, the Derryhirk keeper pulling off a fantastic save. He then saved well from a Nigel Campbell free-kick from twenty-five yards. Ten minutes later the game was won when good work by Peter Sloan and Nigel Campbell created the second goal for Mustafa Kaplan who calmly slotted home past the Derryhirk keeper as he tried to narrow the angle. The impressive Ryan Glasgow nearly made it three when he powered through two Derryhirk defenders only to be foiled by a last ditch tackle when he was about to pull the trigger. The ageless David Reid came on to replace McCormack for the last fifteen minutes as Killymoon stormed to another three points and another clean sheet leaving them with the best defensive record in the league.

With tough games at home to Laurelvale and away to Armagh Celtic to come this was a very important win before the mid-season Christmas break. Again managers Fluke and Warwick had to delve into the club's resources to put a team together for this fixture with some ten players unavailable for the first and second team.

Manager Warwick reiterated the need and importance of having a large pool of players to pull from on days such as these. He re-emphasized the importance of all the players, especially those who don't always play every week. And he thanks those players who show patience, loyalty and can be called upon if and when needed. They are as important to the managers as anyone else in the team and at times need to be acknowledged. Thanks, especially to the Chairman David Reid who never lets us down on and off the field of play.
TEAM: Steven McKernan, Alan Fluke, Mark Freeburn, Brian Smith, Nigel Campell, Ryan Glasgow, Marty McCormack, Jason Devlin, Mustafa Kaplan, Peter Sloan, Johnny Scott. Subs: Jeff Hall, David Reid, Andrew Warwick