NAFL PREMIER DIVISION
COMBER REC 3 CRUMLIN STAR 0
Dennis S Nash Reports From Park Way
SATURDAY’S much anticipated clash at the top of the NAFL Premier Division was always likely to determine who would become league champions and it was Comber Rec who delivered an ultimately title-winning performance in front of a mammoth Park Way crowd.
By the time the Rec and rivals Crumlin Star entered the Park Way playing area, all four sides of the ground were packed with fans and the grandstand too was totally occupied. With an attendance surely exceeding the magical 1,000 mark, it was the biggest crowd ever in my experience covering Amateur League football.
Coming just days after Star’s victory over Comber in the Clarence Cup Final, the Rec were intent on not losing out this time and stood up to the occasion in style.
The opening attempt on goal came in the form of a Lex Walker header as Comber set minds on attacking football, but visiting custodian Ciaran McNeill collected the effort without undue stretch.
Comber had taken the early initiative and the bumper home crowd sounded their approval at the opening forward positivity. A free-kick from Marty Donnelly pushed the visitors into attacking territory, but it was the home side that appeared to carry the bigger threat over the opening quarter-hour.
Threatening clouds were beginning to gather as Comber continued to have the main grip on the attacking play and a powerful forward run by Brandon Nelson was just blocked by Sam McBurney.
On 25 minutes a Simon Hanna free-kick was held cleanly by Ciaran McNeill but Comber were moving well and the opening exchanges had certainly given the balance of authority to the home side.
Stephen Smyth was very lively down the Crumlin left as the first umbrellas began to decorate the touchlines, but Comber continued to look the more dangerous.
Donnelly and Patrick McDiarmid were carrying a sharp reminder of the unquestionable Crumlin threat but, two minutes before the break, the breakthrough arrived for Comber when Lex Walker met Elliot Wilson’s pass to give the hosts a deserved half-time lead.
Crumlin opened out the post-interval period with a threatening left wing advance, but the home side quickly responded with an expeditious reply down the right flank from the ever-dangerous Dylan Wilson.
Simon Hanna, Brandon Nelson and Elliott Wilson led the charge, with the crowded touch lines giving full expression to the Comber performance. On the hour mark, Matthew Devine was denied an equaliser as his back-post header was superbly cleared over the bar by Comber’s Stephen Fleck.
Less than 10 minutes later, substitute Ciaran Gillan doubled the home side’s lead by emphatically picking out the top corner. Walker then capped off a memorable afternoon with a free-kick on 87 minutes.
At full-time, it was a matter of Comber requiring two points from their final two games to clinch a first Premier Division title for the Park Way club, however Crumlin Star’s shock home defeat to Mossley on Monday evening confirmed the Rec as champions.
THE MATCH CARD
Comber Rec: Corey Pollock, Matty Gibson, Reece Whittle, Christian Irwin, Lex Walker, Brandon Nelson, Simon Hanna (C), Kris Gaw, Dylan Wilson, Elliott Wilson, Brett Conville.
Substitutes: Stephen Fleck, Dylan Donaldson, Ciaran Gillan.
Officials: M Picking, M Brady, I McKibbin, G McKeown, G McKibbin.
Booked: Kris Gaw, Elliott Wilson, Dylan Wilson, Simon Hanna.
Crumlin Star: Ciaran McNeill, Nathan Waters, Sam McBurney, Niall Hawkins (C), Matthew Devine, Joe McNeill, Patrick McDiarmid, Mark Lyons, Domhnall Cosgrove, Stephen Smyth, Martin Donnelly.
Substitutes: Dee Fearon, Kevin Lynch, Christopher Campbell.
Officials: E Patterson, P Berne, B McKervey, C Gilvary, P Trainor, M Campbell.
Booked: Joe McNeill, Matthew Devine, Nathan Waters.
Sent off: Ciaran McNeill
THE COMPETITION
The Northern Amateur Football League was constituted in 1923 when 16 clubs from the greater Belfast area obtained permission from the Irish FA to form a league solely for amateur players.
Initially, membership was confined to teams from public bodies, private associations, schools and firms. The League currently consists of three divisions of 13 sections providing a base for 94 clubs with a total of 179 teams taking part competitively in Intermediate and Junior status competitions.
REFEREE FOCUS
Jimmy Johnson kept a tight rein on proceedings throughout and fully merited plaudits for his unswerving performance.
PHOTOGRAPHER
Saturday’s official photographer was Neal Dorman and – although matters were not settled on the day – Neal’s action shots hold the stage as having been taken on the day when Comber Rec pulled into an unassailable lead at the top of the Amateur League Premier Division.
LATEST NEWS
Crumlin Star’s defeat to Mossley FC in their last game of the season on Monday
means that, with two games still to play, Comber Rec are already 2024-2025 NAFL Premier Division champions.
Comber faced Mossley at Park Way last night (Wednesday) and complete their season away from home against the same team, on Saturday, May 31.
