A decimated Lurgan Thistle Reserves travelled to a strong Donacloney Reserves hoping to put up a better showing than last time out, The Jags started off in an unfamiliar 3-5-2 formation and soon found themselves 2-0 down. The first goal came early on as the cloney forward beat the jags backline for pace and slotted the ball past keeper Gregg Robertson. After fifteen minutes a second goal followed, when a free kick was given away about 25 yards out on the right hand side of the box. The Cloney player stepped up and fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net leaving thistle shell-shocked. The thistle tried to regroup and switched to a more accustomed 4-4-2 but still could not get close to their men and almost didn’t seem interested in the game. It seemed it was only a matter of time before Donacloney scored a further goal but it didn’t come and the Jags went in 2-0 down at half time.

The second half was a completely different game with thistle starting quickly and pressing Donacloney back. Mickey Trainor and Christopher Kiely chased everything down from the front and Ciaran Devlin intercepted everything down the right hand side and pressed forwards when he could. Thistle had several chances to get a goal, the best of which came when Mickey Trainor shot from a tight angle, the ball came back off the crossbar and hit the advancing Craig Beckett and somehow managed to loop over the bar from a yard out. It was one of those days where it seemed the ball didn’t want to go into the net for the Jags as chances came and went, with the ball rebounding off the cross bar and post again, Several chances cleared off the line and the Donacloney keeper making a good stop.

As the Thistle pushed forwards Donacloney sent a long ball up-field towards their striker who beat Sean Connolly to the ball, then after turning him too easily, fired the ball home against the run of play. The Jags continued to push to get a goal back but it wasn’t to be. Indeed Donacloney scored a forth when the ball fell to the Cloney midfielder in the box after two last ditch tackles from the thistle defenders. The best on the day for Thistle were Ciaran Devlin and Barry McManus.

Next up for the Thistle Reserves is high flying Banbridge Rangers team and if we start the game the same way we played in the first half of this one it could become very embarrassing, Every player needs to work hard from the off and if we play the entire game the way we did in the second half then maybe lady luck will be a bit kinder and we will get the bounce of the ball that we didn’t get in the second half.