Potent Portaferry secure Shield win

10 April 2013

PORTAFERRY’S predatory pirates plundered and pillaged their way to Junior Shield glory at Solitude, North Belfast, last Thursday night.

The Ports produced a sparkling display of high intensity, attacking football that few teams could have lived with and they pounded Woodvale with wave after wave of flowing moves.

Portaferry chairman Brian Doran, who was manager the last time the club won the competition back in 2000, was ecstatic on the final whistle and couldn’t hide his delight. “I always knew we would win. I didn’t want to sound too confident when I spoke to you on Monday, but I had no doubts that we would beat Woodvale. They are a good side, but we have been playing well lately and everything went in our favour.

“We played some super football and congratulations all round to managers Johnny McGrattan and Gary Smyth, the players and our brilliant supporters. Well done to Fergal Sims on winning the man of the match award, but he must have been run close by Paul Milligan, Tom Merron and Harry Curran who were absolutely brilliant.”

Despite Woodvale taking a 12th minute lead, the result was never in doubt with man of the match Fergal Sims, Garret Curran and the indomitable Paul ‘Spike’ Milligan running the show.

Milligan was the game’s class act. He was like a magnet in the middle of the park and rolled back the years with a virtuoso performance. He provided defensive cover in front of the back four when required and then cut loose with a mesmeric range of short and long passing that Woodvale just couldn’t stem.

Both sides started on the front foot, but it was Woodvale who went closer to breaking the deadlock when Robert Black let fly from the edge of the box, but his strike was brilliantly saved at the base of the post by Andrew Sands in the 10th minute.

Woodvale made the breakthrough two minutes later when Darren Nelson lobbed a pass into the path of the dangerous Brian Cassidy and he made no mistake after beating the offside trap with a good finish.

Three minutes later at the other end Milligan was emptied as he burst into the box, but no penalty was given. It was all Portaferry now and they turned the game on its head with three goals in a manic 12 minutes.

Aaron McCarthy provided the equaliser with a classy strike from inside the box after a slip by Jonny Kelly. Two minutes later Stephen McKee tipped a Milligan firecracker over the bar and from the resulting corner Curran headed above everyone in the box to steer in a McCarthy cross.

Aiden ‘Yeboah’ McCluskey then made It 3-1 in the 30th minute when he combined with the overlapping Tom Merron before burying the ball in the back of the net.

Woodvale continued to play their patient passing game and with 34 minutes they created another opening, but Sands saved well from the lively Gareth Hill.

The game took another twist in the 35th minute when the referee pointed to the spot after Milligan and Brian Fitzsimons challenged Black in the box and Cassidy promptly made it 3-2. Woodvale had a glorious chance to equalise at the start of the second half when a Jonathan McKee corner begged to be put away after Sands lost possession under pressure, but the referee gave a free out for a foul on the custodian by Kelly.

This was as good as it got for Woodvale and Portaferry made them pay in the 62nd minute when a brilliant run and cross from McCarthy was dispatched to the net by Sims.

Portaferry closed up shop after this and gave absolutely nothing away with Merron, Convery, Curran and Fitzsimons simply superb.

Manager Johnny McGrattan emptied his bench with Darren Berry, Roy Wilson and Gerard Curran all

enjoying cameo roles in the dying minutes.

Portaferry: A. Sands, T. Merron, B. Fitzsimons, P. Milligan, G. Curran, P. Convery, D. Fitzsimons, F. Sims, A. McCarthy, A. McCluskey, A. McAvera. Subs: G. Mason, R. Wilson, G. Curran, D. Berry, R. Watson.

Woodvale: S. McKee, R. Cole, R. Bingham, T. Moran, J. Kelly, B. McAllister, D. Nelson, G. Hill, B. Cassidy, J. McKee, R. Black. Subs: B. McClean, J. Little, D. Paul, J. Harris, J. McWilliams.

Portaferry 4

Woodvale 2

JUNIOR SHIELD FINAL

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