Report By Glenn Kelly
Jordan Forsythe celebrated signing his new two-year contract earlier in the week with a goal as his Crusaders side disappointed in a 1-1 draw with Newry City at Seaview. Substitute Paul McGovern equalised after an error in the home defence just before the final whistle to delight boss Gary Boyle and Stephen Baxter’s side miss the chance of gaining ground on the top three sides as the season approaches the halfway point.
On a crisp afternoon in north Belfast, it was the home side who started the brighter with the visitors content to sit back and play on the counterattack. After some threatening play from frontman Adam Lecky and success down the flanks via Ross Clarke, it was the home side who opened the scoring on 13 minutes. BJ Burns with a cross from the right, which led to a Lecky nod back, and a subsequent lay-off by Philip Lowry to the incoming Forsythe 20 yards out from goal, and the midfielder made no mistake with a low drive into the bottom right corner of Steven Maguires goal to make it 1-0. Nine minutes later City had the chance to hit back. Brian Healy with a delightful ball over the top of the Crues’ defence, leading to Adam Salley getting a lobbed effort away from the edge of the area, which went just over the bar. Crusaders soon began to exert their dominance once more, with first Burns heading over when he should have done better and Paul Heatley having a driving effort deflected wide. After a Jarlath O’Rourke fizzed effort just missed the far upright, Heatley should have scored on the half-time whistle. Clarke provided a low cross from right and Heatley got his outstretched toe to the ball but couldn’t direct his shot on target from eight yards out, as the score frustratingly stayed at 1-0 at the break.
If the first half was a cagey affair at times, the second period failed to ignite completely. Salley and Liam Bagnall both went close for the visitors as Crusaders failed to find their rhythm. Substitute Jordan Owens did go close for the hosts in the closing stages, but his header fell onto the roof of the net. Just as the Crues’ were hoping to leave with an uninspiring win, Newry scored a dramatic equaliser in the final minute of normal time. A mistake by Josh Robinson at the back led to a Paul McGovern poke home after a parry by Jonny Tuffey. That was to be the end of the action as it finished all square. The home side will be kicking themselves but must recover for Friday night’s trip to the Loughview Leisure Arena to play Carrick Rangers.