Armstrong and Burns braces help Killough secure cup final play-off

4 August 2021

FOLLOWING an 18-month delay, both Killough FC and Ballynahinch Olympic FC finally got to compete against each other in what should have been their Bobby Dalzell Cup final.

Due to Covid-19 repeatedly pushing this fixture back, the two teams entered the semi-finals phase of the special competition sponsored by AJC Electrical.

The winning team would advance to the final to meet the victors of Celtic Bhoys and Ballynagross’ encounter, whose Harry Clarke Cup final had also been delayed on numerous occasions.

Ballynahinch kicked off at the Ballyhornan venue to begin their eagerly awaited tie with the seaside village team, and within 60 seconds Killough ‘keeper Marty Murphy was picking the ball out of his net due to a mix-up in defence.

Killough immediately were met with a job to do, but quickly settled into their surroundings to tie the scores through a Kian Tierney leveller.

The clock had struck ten minutes when Connor Kelly slotted the ball past the Olympic number one to put his side in front.

Killough continued to press and it was clear Ballynahinch were not expecting this sort of retaliation.

On 17 minutes it was 3-1 after a great ball was launched by Kelly into the path of Ross Armstrong who cooly finished first time.

Killough’s defensive woes continued and just before the half-hour mark they were made to pay for it. A coming together at the back between Murphy and teammate Eamon Gargan gifted Ballynahinch a tap-in and a way back into the contest.

Those who paid the £3 admission were definitely getting value for money as the goals continued to rain down on this fast-paced encounter.

Just two minutes after conceding, Killough worked the ball back up the pitch and found Ruairi Sharvin unmarked 30 yards out from the opposing net. Sharvin duly obliged and unleashed a beautiful strike to retain his side’s two-goal cushion.

Not one to shy away from competition, Cillian Burns added Killough’s fifth of the match from 25 yards just five minutes later to leave the scoreline 5-2 at halftime.

Ballynahinch were hoping the interval would give them a chance to assess their options, but they were immediately disheartened after the restart.

A long mazy run from Sharvin was completed with a piercing pass finished off by Armstrong for his second of the match.

Despite Killough’s attacking prowess, they displayed their rustiness in conceding two penalties in 20 minutes, which Ballynahinch ensured they were punished for.

With the score now at 6-4 and with over a quarter of a hour to go, both sides knew the next goal would be vital.

On the 77th minute a long ball was lumped forward by Killough’s Lee Murphy to the feet of Burns who took two bites of the cherry to notch his brace and put this tie finally to bed.

With just five minutes remaining, it was clear that there were tired legs on display after a gruelling 85 minutes of football.

A foul on Killough forward Daniel Taggart resulted in a penalty which he confidently converted to finish the tie 8-4.

Killough now advance to the final where they will face Celtic Bhoys in a mouth-watering fixture at 1.30pm in Ballyhornan on Saturday.

Killough 8

Ballynahinch Olympic II 4

AJC ELECTRICAL CHARITY SHIELD

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