Lisbellaw United 12 Derrychara United 0

Derrychara suffered their heaviest league defeat of the season as Lisbellaw blasted 12 goals past the league’s bottom club. Paul McGrath helped himself to five goals in a one-sided affair at Drumad, where the home team raced into an 8-0 lead after just 35 minutes.

For Lisbellaw, it was the ideal way to bounce back from their 4-0 defeat to Enniskillen Town last week, as they secured their first league victory in five matches.

“I was glad to get the three points, because last week we had a really poor result and it was important we got back to winning ways as soon as possible,” said Manager Kyle McCleery.

“We are glad we have done that, and it is always good to score a few goals, and hopefully our strikers will get some confidence from that.

“Their club is in a bit of disarray at the minute and they have a lot of young and inexperienced players and the difference between the two sides was massive, but we can only play what is in front of us, and we did a professional job.”

Lisbellaw made the perfect start to the match, going a goal ahead in the third minute when Kelvin McElroy burst into the box and squared for Paul McGrath, who cut inside the defender and lashed a left-footed shot past Derrychara goalkeeper Paul Murphy.

McGrath added a second two minutes later, drifting past two defenders and dispatching his shot into the far corner.

David Freeman added a third, collecting Craig Johnston’s cross-field pass and firing a shot in off the post from 25 yards out. Paul Elliott then added a fourth, side footing home at the back post from a Craig Johnston corner.

Elliott added his second of the game midway through the first half, converting Scott Moutray’s cross, before Moutray added a goal of his own when he ran onto Stuart Johnston’s pass and rounded the keeper.

Craig Johnston cut in from the left and dinked the ball over the goalkeeper to make it 7-0 before Paul McGrath completed his hat-trick with a composed finish from the right of the penalty area.

With the game safely in the bag at half time Lisbellaw made five changes, and the new-look side took 15 minutes to score a ninth, which came through Johnston’s deflected shot.

Kevin McElroy then cut in from the right and played the ball across for Stephen Bruce, who stroked the ball into the bottom corner from 18 yards to record his first ever goal for the club.

Paul McGrath made it 11 with 15 minutes remaining, and he increased his personal tally to five in the 83rd minute when he pounced on debutant Scott Johnston’s blocked shot to complete the rout.