Lisbellaw United 1 NFC Kesh 2

A Nathan Cashel wonder strike earned NFC Kesh victory in a closely contested match against Lisbellaw United.

The home team had taken an early lead through Scott Moutray’s penalty, but Ryan Campbell equalised before half time, and Cashel’s second half goal from inside the centre circle snatched a dramatic win.

Kesh manager Ryan Campbell admitted they were pushed all the way by Lisbellaw, but he felt once they recovered from a slow start they did enough to deserve all three points.

“It was a good result for us,” he admitted.

“Lisbellaw were decent, and they started the brighter. In the first 20 minutes we couldn’t get going. We couldn’t get settled, and then we changed the formation and we started to get into the game and created a bit more.

“For the remainder of the half I thought we were the better team and we deserved to get the equaliser and get back into the game.

“Their keeper pulled off two or three great saves in the second half and on another day with a different keeper we could have been three or four ahead in the second half.

“I thought we were never going to get the winner, but Nathan Cashel popped up with a wonder goal. When you look back on the game as a whole I think we edged it and deserved the three points.”

Lisbellaw boss Kyle McCleery conceded that Kesh had the better of the goal scoring opportunities, but was happy with his team’s performance.

“We were disappointed not to come away with anything because I felt we worked hard,” he said.

“There were times our backs were against the wall, but we defended reasonably well. At the stage they scored the second I felt we had more in the tank and looked in a reasonable position, but their second goal was a moment of brilliance.”

Lisbellaw made a great start to the game and took the lead after only two minutes. Richard Woods fired a low cross into the six yard box which was parried by the keeper, and as Scott Moutray was about to turn the loose ball goalwards he was fouled.

The striker picked himself up to dispatch the spot kick and give Lisbellaw an early advantage.

The home team continued to press forward but a change of formation for Kesh helped them gain a foothold in the contest, and twice they came close to equalising.

Sam McDonald in the Lisbellaw goal was at full stretch to touch Ryan Beatty’s header onto the crossbar, and Nathan Cashel then spurned a good chance when his shot struck the top of the bar.

The leveller eventually arrived after 36 minutes when Cashel broke through the back line. McDonald came out and forced him wide, but he was able to cut the ball back from the byline and Campbell got in front of the defender to tap home.

In the second half Kesh continued to dominate the chances, and McDonald made a great double save from Campbell and Beatty to keep the game level.

He was then called on to turn away Beatty’s shot from the edge of the penalty area, but he could do nothing with Cashel’s spectacular winner.

From a goal kick the ball dropped to Cashel on the edge of the centre circle, and he struck a first time half volley that sailed over McDonald and into the net.

Lisbellaw did have a late chance to tie the game up when Jamie Coalter’s long ball over the Kesh defence set Richard Woods clear.

He knocked it past the keeper and squared the ball to Scott Johnston, but his shot was deflected wide of the post by the recovering defender as the referee blew the final whistle.