Fullerton Delighted With Shams Performance Despite Defeat

It was top against bottom when an unbeaten Clifton team, with a 100% winning record to date, entertained Mals Shamrocks at the Grove on Saturday. The Mals team were missing several regulars but the players who came in did themselves no harm with a good performance for 70 minutes before eventually going down to a 3-1 loss. 

Clifton kicked off and were soon on the front foot with Begley twice shooting across the goal when in the clear. Indeed for most of the first fifteen minutes Clifton relied on the height of Murphy to win the ball in the middle of the park and spreading passes wide to their skilful wingers. However the Mals backline with the reliable Soupie in goal and back four of Shiels, Quinn, Connolly and McConville held firm.

Having survived the early onslaught Mals began to settle into their stride and showed that they could also play some decent football with McConville playing a one-two to put Gallagher in on goal. Benson pushed out the initial shot and McLaughlin following in shot wide when he should have perhaps done better. Adam and Allen Docherty both playing up front then combined to set up a chance for Allen who shot wide, and brother Adam followed suit when a great cross from Dan McConville found him at the far post but the striker headed down and wide.

The Shams were growing in confidence and went in front on 32 minutes. Marty Neill won the ball in the middle of the park and when the ball went into the box Allen Docherty finished it off. With Connolly and Quinn at the back and Collins, McLaughlin and Neill linking well in midfield, Mals looked comfortable and should perhaps have gone in more than one goal to the good, but both keepers made some good saves to leave only the one goal between the teams at the interval. Indeed it was difficult to tell at this stage who was the team at the top and who was at the bottom.

HT:Clifton Athletic 0 Malachians Shamrocks 1

       
The second half began in similar fashion to the first fifteen minutes with the league leaders dominating possession but failing to find the net as Connolly and his troops restricted the shots on goal and with Soupie dealing comfortably with anything that did get through. The game became stretched with Clifton putting on the pressure and Mals relying on counter attacks. Fifteen minutes in  Clifton did get the equaliser their second half display deserved when Begley got to the bye line, put in a hard low cross which several players went for, and the ball hit someone and ended up in the net.

Mals threatened again with Collins finding the dangerous Gallagher who used his pace to almost go through the home defence only to be rather cynically brought down, and having to leave the pitch shortly after with an injury to be replaced by McQuillan. This was a big loss to the Shams team as both McLaughlin and Gallagher had caused problems for Clifton on the wings.

With twenty minutes to go Clifton went in front. Connolly headed the ball clear where it fell to Madden at the edge of the penalty area. The big centre back controlled the ball and turned before hitting a shot which ended up in the corner of the net much to even his surprise! The home team were now well on top as fitness began to tell but Shams still carried a threat in breakways. McConville made one of his trade mark runs forward to link with Collins who eventually found Adam Docherty but his shot struck the bar and was cleared. Neill also had a shot charged down.

Shiels was then replaced by McKay but McLaughlin then sustained an injury and so the Mals were left chasing the game with ten players. With the game entering its final moments Mals won a corner and everyone pushed up chasing an equalizer. However Clifton cleared the danger and on the break caught Mals with only two back. The ball was eventually played to Farrell who had come on at half time and although looking suspiciously offside the young forward supplied a composed finish to complete the scoring.

Although extremely disappointed with the final outcome the Mals team can take heart from a reasonable display against an unbeaten team, and there were more positives than negatives to take into next weeks game also at the Grove against Hibernians.  
Up the Mals!

FT: Clifton Athletic 3 Malachians Shamrocks 1