By 
THE Western Region team have been left with a mountain to climb if they are to represent Northern Ireland at a UEFA Regions Cup mini tournament in Albania at the end of the year.
That’s because on Wednesday evening at Stangmore Park the boys from the West produced a below par performance in going down 5-1 to their Eastern rivals in the first leg play-off game.
First half goals by Donegal Celtic’s Mick Byrne and Patrick Downey, Newington, gave the visitors the perfect platform and in a purple patch early in the second half they put the game to bed with further goals by Johnny Ewart, Dollingstown, Dundela’s Charlie Dornan and Callum James, Holywood.
The high point for the home side was a well-taken strike by Institute’s Cahir McMonagle, who at 1-0 had a sizzling 30-yard free kick brilliantly tipped onto the inside of a post by East keeper Ger Walker before being cleared. Had that gone in the outcome may well have been different, but, in truth, the more experienced side won through on the night.
The starting Western side included the Dergview pair of Johnny McKeown and Aaron McLaughlin, Sean McCallion, Strabane Athletic, Gareth Muldoon, Coagh United and Peter Armstrong, Ballinamallard United.
Substitutes in the second half included brothers Conan and Oisin Campbell, Strathroy Harps, Luke Henderson, Dergview and Jack Beatty, Ballinamallard United.
The opening quarter was pretty tight with neither side creating anything of note until the Eastern outfit forged ahead on 19 minutes. A long throw-in by Dornan wasn’t cleared by the Western defence and Byrne swept the ball home from six yards.
In response the West’s McLaughlin lined up a pile-driver but it was blocked shortly after take-off before McMonagle latched onto a long searching pass but his effort was saved by Walker.
A teasing left-sided free kick by McCallion caused a moment of danger in the East defence as McKeown toe-poked the wrong side of a post.
At the other end Downey flashed over from a lay-off from Ewart and on another occasion Western keeper Gareth Muldoon pushed a Jack Riley free kick wide of a post.
Muldoon also tipped over a stinging half volley from Riley before opposite number Walker produced that wonder save to somehow keep out McMonagle’s sizzling free kick.
But, right on the stroke of half-time, the East doubled their advantage. There didn’t appear to be anything on when Downey received the ball on the right angle of the penalty box but out of nothing the attacker curled a shot over Muldoon and underneath his crossbar.
That second goal gave the Eastern side the platform to put the game to bed and they wasted little time in doing exactly that on the resumption
Moments into the second half Ewart finished from close range after the home rearguard failed to deal with a Jackson Reid cross from the left, although the Western side quickly pulled a goal back when McMonagle found space through the middle of the visiting rearguard to hammer low inside Walker’s left post.
However two goals in a matter of minutes put the game and perhaps the play-off beyond the reach of the West.
A towering back post header by Dornan made it 4-1, and, moments later, a deep left-sided cross from Riley was laid back by Nicholas Napier and fellow substitute Jones finished from four yards.
The return leg will be played at the Blanchflower Stadium on Wednesday, March 4.
