Following their promotion back to the top flight, Lurgan BBOB kicked off in Division 1 at home to Armagh Celtic when BBOB more than matched their opponents in a very tight contest but ultimately lost 1-0 to one clearcut Armagh chance, while the hosts failed to convert a penalty kick.

BBOB made a slow start to the game and it was Armagh who looked the brighter early on as a tentative BBOB seemed to stand off their opponents, although the visitors were restricted to long range shots by a solid home defence. BBOB gradually improved as the first half progressed with Stevie Willis coming to the fore in midfield and well backed up by threatening runs from Mark Doyle and Alan Dowey in the wide positions. Just before the break Willis won the ball in the middle of the pitch and made a fantastic burst through the centre but was denied a goal when the outrushing Armagh goalkeeper made a good low save on the edge of the penalty box to ensure that the score remained goalless at half time.

BBOB made an encouraging start to the second half and soon produced a fine move as the ball was switched superbly from right to left through Doyle and then Willis to Dowey, who fired in a fine cross, which Glenn Emerson spectacularly volleyed over. Shortly after this BBOB were caught out playing an offside trap as a midfielder played Armagh onside and a visiting attacker burst through in the inside right position to score a relatively soft goal on the hour mark, with a low drive at the near post. BBOB rallied well and midway through the half Willis again burst brilliantly through the centre and was chopped down by the Armagh goalkeeper just as he was rounding him to fire the ball into an empty net. The Armagh goalkeeper was sent off and BBOB were awarded a penalty kick against a makeshift goalkeeper but Emerson fired high and wide. BBOB then kept pressing against the now ten determined Armagh men and seemed certain to be awarded another penalty kick when the lively Aaron Willis was unceremoniously hacked down. To add insult to injury, it seemed that BBOB should even have had a further penalty kick when an Armagh defender later cleared a cross with his hand. However, while these decisions did not go in BBOB’s favour, they know that they did not help themselves by failing to convert the limited chances that they had, unlike Armagh who converted their one clearcut chance to win the game 1-0.

BBOB will be disappointed with this result and should now fully appreciate that they need to be more clinical all over the pitch and especially in front of goal at this higher level, although they should have nothing too much to fear in terms of competing on the evidence of this match.

BBOB: Aaron McGlade, Mark Doyle, Alan Dowey, Stephen Heasley, Paul Heasley (c)*, Andi Heasley, Derek Wilson**, Steven Willis, Aaron Willis, Neil Anderson, Glenn Emerson. Subs: Alex Wright*, Bryan Archer**, Iain Wilson**, Philip Cowan, Jonathan Willis.

Date: August 15, 2009     Venue: Kernan