Dergview Reserves 1-3 Lisbellaw United

Lisbellaw made it six wins from their last seven matches as they overcame Dergview Reserves with three first-half goals.  

Kyle McCleery’s side travelled to Castlederg on Friday night, and they took an early lead under the lights through Scott Moutray.

Dergview levelled the game with a goal from Dylan Aiken, but two further goals from Craig Johnston ensured the points went the way of Lisbellaw. 

“It was a good result and a good performance,” said McCleery.  

“I thought we looked really dangerous going forward and we could have scored more. We created numerous chances, and it was really encouraging.  

"They had a decent team out and when they equalised I was disappointed that we hadn’t built on going one nil up.

"We went back into our shell a bit after our goal, but after they scored up until halftime we were excellent going forward.

"We scored on the stroke of halftime, so it came at a really good time for us, and in the second half for a long time if anyone was going to score it looked like being us.  

"We just couldn’t put the game to bed. In the last five or ten minutes they had a wee bit of possession and pressure and a few shots from distance, but Josh (Brownlee) dealt with them easily and we saw the game out.” 

The win lifts Lisbellaw to sixth in the league table ahead of a challenging series of games leading up to Christmas.  

“We are on a good run,” the manager acknowledged.  “We made a slow start to the season and we are kicking ourselves that we don’t have more points on the board at this stage.

"We were really disappointed in how we started, because we weren’t turning performances into results, but it is great to be on a good run and get some points on the board.

"We have a hard run from now to Christmas with Strathroy away, home to Kesh and then away to Tummery, so that will tell a tale.” 

It took Lisbellaw just six minutes to take the lead. A Craig Johnston cross from the left just evaded Paul McGrath, but Dergview could only clear as far as the edge of the penalty area, and Scot Moutray ran onto the ball and crashed a first-time shot into the bottom corner of the net.  

The goal seemed to spark Dergview into life with Warren Ballantyne repeatedly getting in behind the defence down the left, and they were rewarded after 14 minutes with an equaliser when Dylan Aiken raced clear of Ben Parkinson and slotted past Brownlee. 

Dergview struggled to keep the momentum going after the goal however, and four minutes later Lisbellaw had restored their lead when a long clearance from Brownlee was picked up by Johnston, and he cut inside before curling a shot into the far corner.  

Lisbellaw moved further ahead in the final minute of the first half when Nathan Graham and Richard Woods combined to set McGrath away, and his cut back from the byline was dispatched by Johnston from the edge of the penalty area.

Lisbellaw introduced Peter Armstrong and Jack Foster from the bench at halftime and they shored up the defence as Dergview struggled to find a way back into the game.  

The visitors had scoring chances fall to Moutray, McGrath and James Taylor, and despite not converting they held on to take the win.