Quick-fire goals hit Port hard
Gary Pews • Published 21 Aug 2012 11:00
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PORT Glasgow will soon be looking for the points rather than the praise, but they were genuinely unfortunate to come away from Govan with nothing in their opening league match on Saturday.
The Port had the bulk of the attack in this game but were hit with some classic sucker punches.
And luck was not on their side either, as shown after just eight minutes, when Scott Nugent met a corner by Frankie McKay on the edge of the box but saw his shot come back off a post.
Harry McLachlan was then just beaten to the ball on a one-to-one with the Bens keeper, and on 28 minutes Nugent cut in from the left and put the ball across goal but there was no takers.
But it was Benburb who got the crucial opener 10 minutes before the break.
The ball was cleared from the box by Eddie Joyce but was picked up by a Bens midfielder 35 yards out.
He floated it into the box, where a home striker shot into the net.
The Port were soon back in attack and Kyle put McKay clear on the wing. He crossed to the back post to find Graham Black, who cut inside but then opted to pass the ball across goal when a shot was on.
It had been a good first half for the Port, with Benburb's only threat coming on the counter-attack.
They also began the second half well, but Black shot over the bar with just the keeper to beat.
Then after an amazing sequence of six corners in a row for the Port, Benburb hit them on the counter-attack again and a quick ball into the box found the Bens centre-forward, who slotted past Bryan Tucker to make it 2-0.
Port Glasgow continued to show well up front, with a Nugent shot taking a deflection and going inches past the post.
The unlucky Nugent then hit the woodwork for a second time, with a free-kick which struck the cross bar.
But with nine minutes remaining Benburb sealed the match with their third goal.
It followed yet another corner to Port Glasgow, after which a quick break away saw the home centre-forward go one-on-one with Tucker to grab his second goal of the match.
Port manager Craig Brown said: ''At 1-0 down we were still in the match, but in the last 20 minutes we started to chase the game and lost our shape, and Benburb sat back and hit us on the break.
"It was disappointing because for the first 65 minutes of the game we were well on top, but started to get frustrated because we were missing chances. It is not like us to do that, so it was a harsh lesson.''
The Port don't have to wait long to get back in action, as they travel to face Neilston in their next league match on Wednesday evening.
PORT GLASGOW: Tucker, Black, Joyce, McGarrigle, Russell, Docherty, MacDonald (Mitchell 75), Kyle, Nugent, MacLachlan, McKay (Casement 65).
Port Glasgow Juniors are sponsored by Regents Vehicle Sales, Greenock, and WJ.
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 20 Aug 12
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