Football: Duffin masterclass give Tobermore points

However they weren’t reckoning on young Peter Duffin who was returning after missing the last five games through injury.

Now, one man doesn’t make a team but when a forward is on fire it can make a big difference and Duffin showed his class in a seven minute spell in the first half, that turned this evenly contested game on it’s head.

The nippy front man Duffin, scored two and laid on the third for his strike partner Ryan Winton, to help Tobermore seal the points.

As expected the home side came quickly out of the blocks but whilst they had plenty of possession they rarely troubled Tobermore keeper Paul Wells, who also was making his first appearance following six games out.

Tobermore, with a strong wind in their backs in the first half, hit their hosts with quick counter attacks and on 29 minutes Sean Heneghan, also just back from injury, raced onto a through ball and his perfect cross was cleverly knocked in at the back post by Duffin.

Five minutes later Duffin doubled his and Tobermore’s tally when he dribbled his way into the box and fired an unstoppable shot past the helpless keeper.

Two minutes later the Duffin turned provider when he again drove into the home penalty area and Winton was at hand to poke home his cross for number three.

The shell shocked home side tried in vain to get something out of a game they, on paper, would have been expected to win.

But even with more of the ball and the wind advantage in the second half Tobermore comfortably dealt with their efforts, could have added another goal or two, and ran out deserved winners.

This hopefully will be a great boost for the reds as their lowly league position didn’t reflect on how well they had been playing and how unfortunate they have been with injuries and suspensions.

With no game next Saturday it will give some of the walking wounded a few more days to recover and give boss Adrian Whiteside a few more players to add to his threadbare panel.