10-man Institute hold on for victory over Ballyclare at the Brandywell

Institute 1

Ballyclare 0

Shaun Leppard's second half header was enough for Institute to pick up their second home win of the season. 

After defeats to Portadown and Newington, Kevin Deery's team dug deep to win the three points, a task made much more difficult following the dismissal of midfielder Evan Tweed with 25 minutes to go. 

Both teams took a while to get going but ‘Stute had a huge chance to take the lead on the half hour mark after one-touch attacking play which cut Ballyclare wide open.

Tweed played the ball into McCarron, who, with his back to goal, flicked it onto the path of Patrick McClure, who immediately split the defence with a through ball. Michael Harris ran clear on goal, but in attempting to take it around the goalkeeper, he took a heavy touch away from goal and could only find the side netting from a very tight angle.

Breen then had to push away a free kick from McCarron as ‘Stute continued to press, but it was the home side who then should have taken the lead just five minutes before the break. After a very poor 40 minutes from the visitors, they created their first chance when Gary Donnelly set up an unmarked Michael Morgan 10 yards from goal, but his effort was hit wildly over the crossbar.

The game was finally coming to life and both sides missed incredible chances to tale the lead, with Evan Tweed shooting straight at Breen with the whole net to aim at, and Gareth Muldoon saving his team at the other end when he saved from Calvin McCurry.

The second half almost began dreadfully for ‘Stute when Liam Mullan gave the ball away in midfield and Michael Morgan attacked, setting up McCurry who brought another good save from Muldoon.

It was proving not to be McCurry’s day, as he then missed a sitter; again his captain Donnelly set him up, finding him unmarked six yards out in the centre of goal, but he somehow headed wide with just Muldoon to beat.

The breakthrough finally came right on the hour mark, and it was a simple set-play which did it, McClure crossing from the right for Leppard to glance in a header from close range.

But Kevin Deery was then left shaking his head in disbelief when midfielder Tweed, cautioned just minutes earlier, said something to referee Neil Robinson, and received a second yellow card for his troubles, leaving his team to play the last 25 minutes with 10 men.

Ballyclare almost took immediate advantage with Donnelly dancing through but Muldoon stood tall again, and kept the shot out.

Deery responded by making three substitutions to steady his team in the wake of the red card, and one of them, Oisin Devlin, immediately set up Tiarnan McKinney, who nutmegged Bobby Higgins before shooting just over.

'Stute worked hard to hold onto their lead with Muldoon rarely tested in the closing stages as a result. 

Teams

INSTITUTE: Gareth Muldoon, Ryan Morrow, Shaun Leppard, Patrick McClure, Evan Tweed, Liam Mullan (Orrin McLaughlin 67’), Mark Mbuli (Conor Quigley 77’), Sean Carlin (Oisin Devlin 67’), Michael Harris (Tiarnan McKinney 45’), Sean McCarron (Kirk McLaughlin 67’), Shane Boyle.

BALLYCLARE: Declan Breen, Owen McConville, Howard Beverland, Conall McGrandles (Callum Ferris 67’), Liam Hassin, Cilin Gilmour, Calvin McCurry, Harry Wylie (Caomhan McGuinness 45’), Michael Morgan (Leetch 83’), Bobby Higgins, Gary Donnelly.

REFEREE: Neil Robinson.