Raphoe Hockey Club share the spoils with Newry in niggly affair 

Raphoe travelled to Newry for their second League fixture of the season but had to settle for a share of the spoils in what was a heated encounter..

The first quarter started with a fast pace but both sides struggled to break each other down. 

In the second quarter, Newry started the stronger side and created a few chances but again found it hard to break down the strong Raphoe back line. Newry did have a few attempts but just couldn’t find the target. 

In the third quarter, Raphoe came out much better, creating a lot of opportunities but failed to find the back of the net. 

Matthew Lecky drove at the heart of the Newry defence and played a lovely ball to the back post but, unfortunately for Raphoe, the oncoming striker couldn't find the back of the net. 

And Raphoe were made to rue their missed opportunities right at the end of the third quarter as Newry converted a short corner to take the lead. 

In the final quarter, Raphoe came out fighting looking for an equaliser. Pressing the Newry defence, they were forcing them into mistakes with the ball falling to Matthew Lecky who made no mistake in slotting past the Newry keeper. 

With less than 10 minutes to go, Raphoe pressed hard for the winner. With tempers rising, both teams were able to win frees in positive areas. 

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Unfortunately, with two minutes to go, the game was blown up early as a Raphoe player was on the receiving end of a heavy challenge.

Massive Thanks goes to Rodney Bates for travelling with the squad to umpire.