Class act Connolly secures final spot

Class act Connolly secures final spot

21 November 2018

RYAN Connolly was the hero of the hour as Olympic claimed their spot in the Bobby Dalzell Cup final and also claimed the bragging rights in Ballynahinch.

Connolly made two saves in the penalty shoot-out and then converted the decisive spot kick at the end of a largely forgettable semi-final at Bignian Park on Friday night.

Olympic will face either Killough or Celtic Bhoys, who meet this Friday night in the second semi-final at the same venue, in the Newcastle League’s Boxing Day showpiece at Drumaness.

There was little to cheer the good-sized crowd who braved the Mourne chill well into the night.

One hundred and ten minutes of football produced barely a handful of chances, which meant that all the excitement was reserved for the spot kick shoot-out.

Connolly had little to do over normal and extra time, but he produced the goods when it mattered and was mobbed by his delighted team-mates after putting his spot kick past Raymond Tate in the YM goal.

However, Olympic know they will have up their game if they are to pose a threat to either Killough or Celtic Bhoys in the final.

Neither they nor YM could be faulted for effort. The players ran their socks off and there was plenty of commitment. The tackling was hard, but fair, and it was a credit to the spirit in which the tie was played that not a single player was yellow-carded.

The first half chance of the match fell to nippy YM striker Aaron Cheevers, who was almost through on goal, but was thwarted when Connolly came quickly off his line to save.

Jack Roddy then headed narrowly over for Olympic and not long afterwards Olympic were awarded a free kick outside the box following Richard Annett’s challenge on Shane Rodgers. Unfortunately, Darryl Russell shot tamely against the wall.

The best chance of the half fell to Olympic just after the half hour. Following a corner Gary Wilson’s shot was cleared off the line and Roddy blazed over the bar.

Cheevers was always a threat up front for the YM. On 36 minutes he was clean through, but again Connolly came out to thwart the danger. On 44 minutes he came within inches of putting his head on a cross by the impressive Wilson and just before the break his flicked header were narrowly wide.

Ten minutes into the second half Olympic’s Simon Marmion found Joshua Fennell with a long pass, only for Fennell to shoot over from outside the penalty area on the right side.

Four minutes later Damian Travers found himself with space in the box, but his left-footed shot was easily 

saved by Connolly.

On 73 minutes YM’s Sam Annett let fly, but his shot took a deflection off an Olympic defender for a corner.

Both sides made a number of changes to break the deadlock and with five minutes to go YM substitute James Croskery shot low and hard, but straight at Connolly.

The breakthrough nearly came moments later when Wilson delivered a dangerous free kick into the YM box, but Adam McDowell and Lee Maxwell couldn’t get a touch.

In the first period of extra time, Rhys Patterson thought he had won it for Olympic, but Tate pulled off a great save.

Just at the end of the second period Ronnie Johnston shot inches wide for YM after a good cross from the left by Adam McDowell.

But the goals didn’t come and in the end it was all down to a penalty shoot-out. Olympic deserved to win, but it was cruel on the Young Men.

Ballynahinch Olympic II: R Connolly, J Roddy, D Russell, N McGlew, M Rice, S Marmion, J Fennell, G Wilson, R Patterson, D Travers, S Rodgers. Subs: A McClean, G McMullan, M McClean, R Mason, S McKibben.

Ballynahinch YM: R Tate, S Croskery, A Dickson, H Wilson, M Annett, M Graham, R Johnston, S Annett, A Cheevers, A McDowell, L Maxwell. Subs: J Croskery, S Cheevers, M Lovell, C Price, J Dickson.