Newcastle in Harry Clarke Cup final

25 February 2015

DECLAN Allister was head and shoulders above the rest when he helped extinguish Tollymore’s flame at Bear Park and send Newcastle seconds through to their first ClubSport NI Harry Clarke Cup final.

The redoubtable firefighter, who has returned to his home town club after spells at Rathfriland, Banbridge Town and Orchard City, certainly scaled the heights when heading in two pricelss goals as Tollymore failed to live up to their favourite’s tag.

Young Gavin Moore, who ran Allister close for the man of the match award, scored Newcastle’s third goal.

The game started in whirlwind fashion with a few naughty tackles being put in, but the battle of Bear Park this was not.

Newcastle settled first and Felix Valentine sent a half volley straight into Gareth Small’s midriff after three minutes.

Tollymore retaliated immediately and Chris Hogg caught Newcastle square at the back when he raced on to a pass from Matt Smyth before beating Paddy Baker with an angled finish.

Three minutes later, Tollymore should have made it 2-0 when Newcastle failed to deal with a Smyth corner and Johnny Hall’s effort from close in was hacked off the line.

Hogg had another chance to increase Tollymore’s lead in the 16th minute after he was put in by Paddy Cunningham, but he shot straight at Baker.

With 29 minutes gone Vinny Rice chanced his arm from distance and wasn’t too far away from the target before Newcastle stepped up to the plate and dominated the remainder of the first half.

Moore, who was switched out left, suddenly started to see a lot more of the ball and his trickery and distribution saw a change in fortune’s for Newcastle.

He was fouled out on the flank in the 40th minute and floated a perfectly placed free kick into the box for Allister to head past Small with a measured flick of the head.

Moore was brought down in the box by Ryan Valentine a minute later, but Donal Acton’s spot kick and follow up effort were both saved by an alert Small.

Newcastle didn’t have long to wait for their second goal. With 43 minutes gone Moore made it 2-1 when his low cross into the box sneaked in at the back post.

Both sides created chances at the start of the second half with Acton warming Small’s hands at one end and Hogg tested Baker with a strike from outside the box.

Tollymore were seeing a lot of the ball at this stage of the game, but they weren’t hurting Newcastle and if anything, it was Paddy Baker’s men who went closer to scoring with Acton and Neil Corr getting in efforts.

Tollymore tried everything in a bid to get a piece of the action, but Allister and Pearse McCarthy gave nothing away at the back.

Newcastle were always the more likelier to score and they did just that in the 85th minute when Allister pushed forward for a free kick and was given the freedom of the box when he he headed in Felix Valentine’s set piece to make it 3-1.

Newcastle thought they should have had a penalty in the 86th minute when Acton was brought down after a nice piece of play from Moore, but the referee waved play on and Brent Gibson shot wide of the target as Tollymore looked to have given up the ghost.

However, Philly Dodds was desperately unlucky not to reduce the leeway in the 92nd minute when his screamer crashed off the base of the post with Baker rooted to the spot.

Newcastle II: P. Baker, S. McKibbin, J. Kelly, P. McCarthy, D. Allister, N. Corr, F. Valentine, G. Moore, C. Maginn, C. Hayes, D. Acton. Subs: B. McCombe, B. GIbson, R. McInerney.

Tollymore United: G. Small, R. Valentine, B. Wooley, V. Rice, P. McGrady, J. Hall, P. Cunningham, S. Cousins, C. Hogg, D. McAleese, M. Smyth. Subs: J. Valentine, B. Jones, P. Dodds, S. Kearney.

Newcastle II 3

Tollymore United 1

HARRY CLARKE CUP S-FINAL

Tweets by @TheDownRecorder