NFC Kesh 4 Lisbellaw United 0

Ryan Campbell and Nathan Cashel both scored twice in the first half as Kesh blew Lisbellaw away at Connolly Park to leapfrog over them in the Division One table.

Campbell opened the scoring after 10 minutes, with Cashel and a second from Campbell putting Kesh three ahead with only a quarter of the game gone. Cashel scored his sixth goal in three games just before the interval to cap a man of the match performance in front of the home fans.

Kesh manager Campbell thought their first half showing was their best yet.

“It was probably the best first half of football we have played all season,” he said.

“They were going well and we knew we would have to be at it and get a good start, and that is what we done. Thankfully the boys stepped up to the mark. We were on the front foot straight away and got two quick goals and they couldn’t get settled. We kept going at them and got another two and it was done and dusted at half time.”

“The results at the weekend opened it up a bit and it is going to be a tight league for the run-in. If we can replicate that first half performance we will not be far away, but we will just keep taking it one game at a time and notching them off. Come the last five or six games we can then take a look at it.”

Lisbellaw manager Kyle McCleery had no complaints that the better side won on the day.

“Their first goal knocked us massively and we couldn’t get our composure back,” he admitted. “We made a few changes at half time and we steadied the ship a bit, but Kesh still looked the more likely to score. They were very quick at moving the ball forward. Very direct and very clinical. Campbell is obviously a brilliant finisher and Nathan Cashel is good in the air so giving him the space we did for the second goal was asking for trouble.

“Really disappointed. We were maybe brought down to earth a wee bit. We had been on a good run lately and it was a bit of a shock to the system, but maybe it will stand to us if we can take it in the right manner. We can’t afford to be sloppy or have off days or you are going to get punished. We need to bounce back now. We have to get our heads down and focus again.”

After a scrappy opening few minutes Kesh took the lead when Lee Walker won possession in midfield and clipped a ball over the Lisbellaw backline for Campbell to run on to and round the keeper.

Cashel added a second with a header from close range, after Danny Wilson had delivered a free kick to the far post, and Campbell made it three when Wilson turned a defender and slid a pass through for Campbell to slot home.

Lisbellaw then had their first meaningful attack with Philip Beacom having a shot touched around the post. From the corner Kesh partially cleared their lines but Craig Johnston whipped the ball back into the area and Jamie Coulter followed up on Scot Johnston’s header to put the ball in the net, but it was ruled out for offside.

On the stroke of half time Cashel made it four when he held off the defender and fired home from 12 yards out.

Lisbellaw made four changes at half time with Josh Brownlee and Peter Armstrong making their debuts, but it did nothing to alter the destination of the points. Sam Robb fired wide from a Cashel free kick and Brownlee made saves from Cashel and Campbell as Kesh eased to victory.

The win takes them into fourth place in the table, four points adrift of leaders Tummery with a game in hand.