It was a disappointed Benburb side that made the short journey back to Tinto Park last night. A 93rd minute goal by the home side was enough to secure three points in the first game of the season. Just as Benburb were going flat out for a victory, St. Anthony’s hit the visitors with a sucker punch on the break.

Injuries to Alan Thomson and Mark Davis meant that Benburb were without two influential players at the home of our Govan rivals. This meant that some new faces were introduced the Benburb line-up.

Benburb started the game in bright fashion without troubling Turner in the home goal. It was St. Anthony’s who came closest to scoring in 9 minutes when they hit the post from a corner. Benburb should have taken the lead seven minutes later when a fine pass from Steven Craig put Allan Richford clear on goal, unfortunately he couldn’t get the ball under control and the chance was gone.

St. Anthony’s opened the scoring after 21 minutes when MARK McCUISH scored direct from a free-kick from 22 yards. It was a fine effort, which gave Ghattas no chance in the Bens goal.

Benburb were force in to making a change in the 24th minute when Steven Craig went off injured to be replaced by David Baird. The home side should have doubled their lead in the 33rd minute when Greg Frearson broke the offside trap to go around Ghattas only to find his shot kicked off the line by McInnes.

Benburb were forced into another change four minutes before the interval when David Baird went off with a suspected broken leg. The big centre-half went up for a challenge and on landing collided with a St. Anthony’s player who accidentally landed on his ankle.

The men in blue almost went in level at half-time when Turner tipped a Tony O’Neill shot from 20 yards over the bar.

Half-Time: St. Anthony’s 1 Benburb 0

A determined Benburb side took to the field for the second period in the hope of getting something out of the game. Alas, it was the home side that came closest when Joe Ghattas made a fine save to turn the ball round the post in the early exchanges.

As the second-half went on it was Benburb that began to dominate the game and in the 69th minute Tony O’Neill should have done better with a free header from 12 yards that went wide of the post.  Two minutes later O’Neill was fouled just outside the penalty box. Bobby MacMillan’s free-kick was saved by Turner who could only parry the ball into the path of O’Neill who went down under a challenge. The Benburb players made a loud appeal for a penalty but unfortunately Mr Anderson turned the claims down.

The equaliser eventually did come in the 73rd minute when Shaun Finan headed a Bobby MacMillan free-kick home. From this moment on it was the visitors who looked the most likely to claim the three points, but as we all know football is a cruel game. With the game deep into added time, Benburb were awarded a corner that was cleared by the St. Anthony’s defence into the path of three breaking Ants players against two Bens defender. The home side made the most of this advantage when RONALD McDONALD finished off a fine move by volleying the ball past Ghattas for the winner. Referee Anderson booked McCuish for his over elaborate celebrations in front of the Benburb technical area.

It was a crestfallen Benburb side that left the pitch at the end, but they can take heart from their second-half performance, which will hopefully stand them in good stead for the season to come.

St. Anthony’s: Turner, Feeney, Donaghy, Jaap, Maguire, McDivitt, McCuish, Miller, Docherty, McDonald, Frearson.

Subs: Drummond, Thompson, Boland,  Rachwal, Barclay.

Scorers: McCuish (21), McDonald (93)

Benburb: Ghattas, McDonald, MacMillan, McInnes, Steven Craig, Ferris, Richford, McMenemy, O’Neill, David Craig, Finan.

Subs: Currie, McCafferty (D. Craig 78), McGarry (Baird 40), Baird (S. Craig 24), Fulton.

Scorer: Finan (73)