Highlights of Stute’s 1-1 draw at Solitude (BBC)

And here’s OG’s winner against Ballymena a few weeks ago:

Photo Gallery 1

Photo Gallery 2

Poor show – was hoping for a video – the Glenshane must have been one hurdle too far for Bangorfc.tv

Stute Ultras – was so much better in the second half when the Newry fans left!

My post on Stute Talk:

1-1.

Greggy said he’d change things about and he did. So we started 4-5-1 with Browner up front on his own and Boyler in MF (Ruari was injured).
Newry took the lead, a terrible goal to give away. Then a terrible tackle saw Brown hobble off injured to be replaced by McCreadie (free kick but not even a booking!) On the whole we were happy to go in at half-time only a goal down. We had our chances, but we were nearly caught on the break a few times. Great double save from Doc, very brave for the second bit, dived in and got hurt for the second ball but kept the ball out.

Second half was better, particularly after we scored. Semps (MOTM), rolling back the years, running down the right (they struggled to cope), touched the ball on to Boyler who crossed, for RYAN MCCREADIE to head back across into the corner of the net. Very similar to his goal away to Dungannon last season. Cue mass (well, me and Stuart) hysteria. Pretty much a pitch invasion.

We were def the better team after that, threatened them, McCreadie had another 1 or 2 chances, 1 he hit over should have at least made the keeper work. They also got a few crucial blocks in. But Newry could have won it too, and it was nervy every time they attacked, particularly when they had a couple of late corners.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy with a draw! In fact the only ever time I remember being happy with a draw at all was away to Portadown when our one striker got injured / sent off early on. Brilliant. Feels like a win. Craic was 90. Gregg’s tactics pay off. Alan Ryan safe as houses – undroppable.

INSTITUTE: Ryan; Roddy, Paddy, OG, Seydak; Semple, Boyle, Quigley (Kee, 2nd half), Lowry, Harkin; Brown (McCreadie)

3rd goal: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5ExPtiBF1xw

Plus spot the comedy own goal from Tommy Wray about 2 minutes into these highlights: http://www.forzatv.net/video_ballymena_230908.html

Calvin Mooney’s goal comes at 1:40

“Can we play you every week?” sums up how Institute were feeling after completing a league double over Dungannon Swifts on Saturday. Stute started the day in the unusual position of bottom of the Irish Premier League, after a dismal run in the league where a failure to score goals had meant that we had only won once (2-1 at Larne on the 5th of January) since our first victory over the Swifts, on Boxing Day. (Looking back, I see that these victories occasioned my last 2 posts – I clearly wouldn’t have much of an argument against any accusation that I only post when we’re winning!) However a 56th minute header from Ryan McCreadie, alongside defeats for Limavady and Armagh (the later against a Newry side who were reduced to 10 men in the 18th minute!) meant that come 4:45 or thereabouts we were third from the bottom.

As for the game itself, Stute tore into the home side for the first 20 minutes, but as usual without being able to score. John Gregg seemed to be undermining things by playing 4-5-1 in a must-win game, with Ryan McCreadie, fresh from one of the worst Stute misses of all time last week, the lone striker.

After Alan Ryan pulled off a brilliant save in the first half to deny a very good Dungannon chance, frustration was mounting, particularly as David Kee did some good work down the left before delaying and delaying his ball across the box until he was tackled for a corner. Ruari Boyle also had a free kick from a good position comfortably saved by Dwayne Nelson. [Video here - trying out the new Flickr video, can't embed it]

Then, on 56 minutes, with Kyle Moran ready to come on for the misfiring McCreadie, a great run and tremendous cross from Ryan Semple saw the ball reach the unmarked striker who headed it past the despairing dive of Nelson and into the net.

The goal postponed McCreadie’s departure for 5 minutes, but the inevitable happened and he was then replaced by Moran, but Stute couldn’t add to their slender lead. We survived a coupla of chances at the other end, in particular a shot from a good position following a partially-cleared cross that was blazed over the bar in the 90th minute.

But at long last the final whistle was blown, the other results were confirmed and it was time to savour a rare and vital win.

Moran has a lovely accent btw.

Ryan, Philson, OG, Seydak, Cutmore; Semple (McGarvey 84), Boyle, McClean (O’Loughlin 44), Lowry, Kee; McCreadie (Moran 59)

Not used: Divin, Ferry.

When sitting down to start an away fans’ article in January, I probably shouldn’t let on that I’ve only seen Stute play two and a half league games so far this season. The reason for this part-time supporting is that I’m writing this words from Airdrie, Scotland, where I’ve been since the end of August. However my lesser spotted appearances at matches do help divide our season so far up into three separate phases.

When I departed the shores of Norn Iron at the end of August, Stute were in the middle of their CIS cup campaign. Although we eventually finished bottom of our group on goal difference, our CIS performance could definitely be described as encouraging, as we played some good football, with new summer signings such as Philip Lowry and Andy Crawford looking to be shrewd acquisitions, and First Division favourites like 36-goal striker Ryan Campbell seeming to be coping well with the step up.

By the time I returned for a week in November, Stute had gone through a poor second phase, suffering a disappointing start to the league not least in failing to take any points of your good selves at Drumahoe on the first day. A home defeat to Glenavon, and an away draw with Limavady (after we had supposedly taken all their good players, except Ryan McIlmoyle who went the other way, in the summer) were clearly not acceptable. The half game I saw in November was the second half of a 4-0 defeat to Glentoran at the Oval, but it was certainly an improved performance, and the scoreline didn’t really reflect the match.

This heralded what I will dub the third phase, taking us up till the end of 2007. Some Brazilian-like football (not least from full-back turned left winger Marty Cutmore, overcoming a disappointing start to his Stute career) saw us dispatch a high-flying (at the time) Crusaders team 3-1. This was followed by narrow defeats away to Cliftonville and Portadown, and at home to Linfield (which I actually managed to listen to live thanks to Radio Ulster online). However, we matched all three of them for large periods of the game and definitely felt hard done by not to take anything from them.

Towards the end of the year, things turned a bit sour, only drawing against Armagh, and losing to Ballymena. The goals, it seemed, had dried up. However, a Merry Boxing Day saw us deservedly beat Dungannon 1-0, followed by a creditable point away to Distillery. Our last match was on New Year’s Eve, controversially (in the eyes of working fans at least) brought forward by a day, and the team were visibly tired as they could only manage a 1-1 draw with Donegal Celtic.

Today, we’ll be hoping to discover that that was only a blip, as we look forward to seeing new signings Declan Divin (on his return) and John O’Loughlin, both signed from Finn Harps. However, we still need to sign at least one striker, because on recent form if we score more than one today it will have to be described as ‘prolific’.

Enjoy the game.

Cutmore

Semps

Would’ve been a great photo if it wasn’t for them new dugouts!!

Ryan McCreadie chases 

Beller

Oh what fun it is to beat Dungannon on Boxing Day…

Scolts

Doherty, Boyle (Campbell 15), Scoltock, Seydak, Bell, Semple (Ferry 82), Lowry, Kee, Cutmore, Crawford, McCreadie (Rocket 65)

Not Used: Ryan, Deane

Goals: Crawford (83 mins)