GARY BELL was the hero for Ballyclare Comrades at the weekend when his two goals in Lurgan kept his side's First Division title hopes alive.
A goal in each half from the left back was enough to see off the challenge of Lurgan Celtic on a 2-1 scoreline at Knockrammer Park.
Gary is better known as a rugged defender who marks out opposing strikers effectively, but on this occasion a volley and a header at the opposite end of the pitch sent
the Reds fans home happy.
With Loughgall and Dundela both winning there is no change at the top, with Jamesie Kirk's lads sandwiched between their two main title rivals.
Comrades lost little time in asserting their authority, taking only nine minutes to draw first blood. Goalkeeper Ciaran Fox made a double save to deny Allen Reid and Adam Dick, but Gary Bell managed to volley the ball in to the net from an acute angle.
Fox was in action again when he did well to deny Kyle Agnew, who moments later got in behind the defence, but on this occasion he opted to square to Darren McKay, only for a defender to intervene.
Celtic continued to have territorial advantage but lacked the cutting edge, so that Ian Mannus was seldom involved in the action.
On the other hand Comrades' sporadic raids stretched the home defence, and seven minutes before the break Dick came within inches of doubling the lead. He latched on to an Agnew pass and darted in to the box where he beat Fox, but the ball rebounded to safety off the base of the post.
Two minutes after the restart the Hoops defence had another let-off when Reid intercepted a wayward back pass, but once again Fox was smartly off his line to clear the danger.
Later Agnew missed a fine chance to wrap up the points when he found himself in space six yards out, but his finishing effort flashed over the bar with Fox beaten.
In the 70th minute Comrades paid the penalty for missed chances when Fitzpatrick drilled the ball past Mannus from the edge of the box to level the scores, but three minutes later Gary Bell secured the win. He had linked with Reid down the left to win a corner, from which he showed courage at the back post to nod in to the net.
In the closing stages the Comrades defence was severely tested when manager Pat McGibbon urged his players forward. A McArdle free flashed past the base of the post with Mannus unsighted, and seconds later from one of several corners McEvoy came dangerously close with a header.
However central defenders Evan Forsythe and Paul Caldwell held their nerve, and the action finished at the opposite end where Reid put Dick through, but Fox was equal to the challenge.
"Commenting Jamesie Kirk said, "Overall Celtic had the majority of possession, but we always looked the more likely to score. With full backs Michael Smith and Gary Bell both keen to overlap we threatened down both flanks, and Fox was much the busier keeper. We were well worth our one goal lead at the break, but Celtic caught us out midway through the second half when we were searching for a second goal.
"Although I had five subs on the bench I used only Kieran Loughran who came on for skipper Stuart McClean who has a niggling back injury. Pat McGibbon has his side well drilled to charge forward in numbers, but our defence withstood the challenge to keep our title hopes alive,"ended Jamesie.
Ballyclare Comrades: Mannus; Smith, Caldwell, Forsythe, Bell; Agnew, McRoberts, McClean, Reid; McKay, Dick. Subs: Mulholland, Simms, McGrath, Patterson, Loughran for McClean 74 mins).
On Saturday Comrades entertain Carrick Rangers at Dixon Park, kick-off three o'clock