Ballymena 6
Newry Town (City) 1
League (Irish League)

Match Report

A strong end-to-end wind, reaching almost gale force at times, played havoc with the ball in the Ballymena v Newry match at the Showgrounds on Saturday.

Ballymena's goalkeepers, Black and McKean, both being on the injured list, Blair a local junior, was called on deputise and came through the ordeal of his first senior match very creditably.

Kilpatrick, who had been an absentee since 20th September last, when he was injured in the match at Ards, turned out again at outside right, and showed much of his old form.

Newry made a flying start, Toman being almost right through in the first minute when McCandless nipped in and saved a certain goal. But this was only a flash in the pan.

With the breeze behind them, Ballymena afterwards confined play to the visitors' end. McNinch and McCandless taking their stand well out of their own half of the field.

Ballymena were finding it hard to control the ball in the strong breeze, and it was difficult to judge passes. Shaw played in some dangerous crosses. From one f these Gilmour forced a corner with a header, and from another Cassidy trapped the ball in characteristic fashion and turned in a quick shot at which McMinn had to stretch himself, saving at the expense of a corner.

At the end of seventeen minutes Sidney Howard drew first blood with a good shot. Newry were quickly at the other end, but just when things began to look ugly McNinch bounded in and got the ball away in time.

Then Cassidy got the home front line going again and Kilpatrick touched the ball back to Nelson, who lobbed well over for James Gilmour to head through the second goal. A minute later Kilpatrick lifted the ball well in, and in the ensuing melee Sidney Howard put Ballymena three up.

At this point the Newry goalkeeper was injured in the head and had to be carried off. Spencer, the right half, taking the duties of the custodian for the rest of the match.

Notwithstanding their depleted forces Newry attacked vigorously, and Chambers worked in to drive in a fast grounder, which Blair dived at without a moment's hesitation, effecting a smart save.

Ballymena had matters much their own way after this, and James Gilmour scored their fourth goal, and before the interval David Nelson added the fifth.

It was thought that Newry, with the breeze advantage, would do better in the second half, but strange to say Ballymena did nearly all the attacking. On occasions the visiting forwards got within shooting distance, and Blair was called on to stop one or two smart shots, which he handled well, if a little spectacularly at times.

Sidney Howard missed a grand chance with nobody to beat but the goalie, but a little later he accepted a pass from Nelson and beat Spencer all the way.

Newry's only goal came at the end of twenty-seven minutes, Frank Rushe scoring with a close-in shot. In the concluding stages the visitors forced numerous corners, but were unable to add to their score.

Match report written by Ballymena Observer (3 January 1931)