Out of sorts Institute lose out to Dundela at Brandywell Stadium

Institute 1, Dundela 2

Out of sorts Institute fell to a first Playr-Fit Championship defeat in five games as two second half goals gave Dundela victory at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium on Saturday.

Kevin Deery's men enjoyed plenty of possession but failed to fashion any real openings of note on a day when Dundela's defensive discipline thwarted almost everything Stute could muster. Even after Evan Tweed's injury time goal threatened a late, late comeback, a harsh second booking for Shaun Leppard who was challenging for a high ball inside the visitors' area summed up a frustrating afternoon.

It was a game in which the first goal was always going to be dictate the outcome. Dundela grabbed it and from there the experience of one of the Championship's 'old hands' told as they managed the home side and deserved their victory.

Goalmouth action was a rarity in an opening half littered with loose passing as neither side was able to gain control. Any football that was played tended to come from the home side but too often Deery's men allowed themselves to be drawn into a long game more suited to a Dundela team who posed real a threat from set pieces.

'Stute employed Sean McCarron at the tip of an attacking spear that saw the trio of Mark Mbuli, Tiarnan McKinney and teenager Oisin Devlin rotating positions in behind and it was Mbuli who looked most likely to create an opening for the home side. But both defences were well in control before the break and the chances that did appear fell mainly to the Belfast men.

Visiting keeper Lewis Hunter did well under a couple of dangerous 'Stute crosses but by and large the former Banbridge Town man was a bystander with too much of Stute's good work taking place in front of the Dundela rearguard.

'Head tennis' was the name of the game in the opening quarter but McKinney was unlucky to see his effort blocked by Dundela defender Jake White. 'Stute's best chance of the half came after a Mbuli's run forced Dundela captain Robert Jay Magee to concede a free-kick 25 yards out. McKinney's well flighted free perfectly picked out Tweed who had ghosted between defenders but he could only glance his effort inches past the far post from 12 yards.

At the other end, Dundela's opportunities were more sporadic but also more dangerous. Charlie Dornan looked certain to score on 26 minutes when a corner broke to him and it took a brilliant block by Shaun Leppard to deny him from eight yards.

After Mbuli had seen a curling effort comfortably saved by Hunter, Dundela went even closer from another corner. With just four minutes of the half left, the ball broke this time for Magee who saw his point blank effort superbly saved by Gareth Muldoon as the teams remained deadlocked.

Deery's half-time response was a double attacking substitution as Kirk McLaughlin and Sean Carlin were introduced for McCarron and Devlin but things were to get worse and on 49 minutes Dundela hit the front. The home side were indebted to a great headed clearance from Leppard that denied Anthony Burns an easy back post finish but from the resulting corner, Dundela's biggest threat in the air, Magee, was afforded far too much room to head home from only six yards.

'Stute continued to boss the ball, introducing both Michael Harris and Ryan Morrow in a bid to wrestle a way back into the game but the problem for the home side were they were facing a Dundela team perfectly set up to absorb pressure and counter. Indeed the Belfast men almost doubled their advantage on 63 minutes when the ball broke for Jenkins inside the 'Stute penalty area. The striker's shot was destined for the bottom corner but Muldoon produced his second excellent stop, diving low at his near post to turn it away.

By this stage the game was being played almost exclusively inside the Dundela half but 'Stute were still struggling to create. And all the time the threat of a break grew.

Muldoon had already those two excellent stops in his pocket but he had saved his best for 83 minutes. Think David Seaman in the 2003 FA Cup semi-final! Jenkins did well to get in behind the ’Stute backline and when he whipped a great centre across the face of goal, substitute Sam Dinir looked certain to score. He did little wrong, but somehow Muldoon manged to scramble back across his goal and scoop the Dundela's man's powerful header out from under his own crossbar.

It was breathtaking but only a temporary reprieve for 'Stute because two minutes later Dinir was turning provider for David McMaster who had the fereedom of the penalty area to head Dundela into a two goal lead.

Despite having only seven minutes to save themselves, 'Stute rallied and reduced the deficit when Tweed touched home a breaking ball inside the Dundela area. However, just as the home fans prepared themselves for a late charge, the Institute momentum was deflated by that harsh second booking for Leppard after he collided with Hunter challenging a high ball. It looked incredibly harsh but it was that sort of afternoon for ’Stute!

Institute: Gareth Muldoon, Conor Quigley (Bobby Deane, 76mins), Shaun Leppard, Evan Tweed, Liam Mullan, Mark Mbuli (Michael Harris, 56mins), Dylan King (Ryan Morrow, 56mins) Tiarnan McKinney, Oisin Devlin (Sean Carlin, HT), Sean McCarron (Kirk MLaughlin, HT), Shane Boyle.

Dundela: Lewis Hunter, Ian Fletcher, Robert Jay Magee, Jamie McGovern, David McMaster, Andrew Hall (Dylan Donaldson, 87mins), Anthony Burns (Sam Dinir, 70mins), Charlie Dornan, Jake White, William Faulkner (Ciaran Dobbin, 65mins), Jordan Jenkins (Jay Harvey, 87mins).

Referee: Declan Hassan