Annalong back to brilliant best

8 March 2017

ANNALONG Swifts couldn’t have picked a better time for payback when they blitzed Newcastle Swifts to book their place in the Toals Harry Clarke Cup final.

Still smarting from their 2-1 defeat in the Bobby Dalzell Cup final at Christmas, Annalong gained revenge in dramatic style at Bear Park on Saturday.

First half goals from Darren Hyland, Stevie Burden, Johnny McCulla and Ryan McMurray had Annalong purring and player manager Alan Henning sealed the deal with a second half penalty to leave Newcastle in a state of shock.

Annalong looked the part from the outset and had Newcastle chasing shadows early on. Burden, who started up front, gave Newcastle a torrid time and he should have given his side the lead after only three minutes.

Gareth Scannell was caught in two minds when he received the ball just outside his own box. Budren picked his pocket and raced clear into the box before shooting wide from a great position.

Burden’s movement on and off the ball was something else and with 12 minutes gone he carved Newcastle wide open before putting the ball on a plate for Hyland to make it 1-0.

It was 2-0 ten minutes later when McMurray fed the willing Burden and he made no mistake with an unerring finish to punish Newcastle even further.

Newcastle were all over the place at this stage and it took them 24 minutes before they had their first attempt on goal when a subdued Neil Corr wasn’t too far away with a cheeky, lobbed effort.

Annalong had no such bother in front of goal and with 29 minutes gone McCulla headed in a

Mark Newell cross after Burden’s industry had Newcastle at sixes and sevens.

Newcastle tried desperately to get some sort of supply route up to lone striker James Magee, but all their attempts floundered on the rock that is Richard Gordon, who gave an imperious performance at the heart of the Annalong defence.

Things went from bad to worse for an out of sorts Newcastle just before the break when Burden played McMurrray in with a delightful reverse pass and the lean goalscoring machine promptly made it 4-0.

Understandably, Annalong took their foot off the as at the start of the second half and almost paid a heavy price when Newcastle substitute Leigh Moore raced away from everyone on the break, but inexplicably shot wide after doing all the hard work.

Newcastle flattered to deceive at times, but they continued to create chances and Moore wasted another opening in the 59th minute after Magee and Chris Rice had created the opening.

Paddy Baker’s side were going nowhere fast and Annalong completed the rout when Henning scored from the penalty spot after ‘keeper Kane upended Andy McAllister in the box.

As the game petered out, Moore struck the upright at one end and Leslie Maybin was out of luck with an angled drive that deserved to find the net.

Newcastle Swifts: N Kane, J Kelly, S Og Kelly, G Scannell, S P Holland, S Kearney, F Valentine, N Corr, J Magee, D Acton, P McCarthy. Subs: R McInerney, L Moore, C Rice, C Keenan, B Gibson.

Annalong Swifts: J Sloan, G Forsythe, A Henning, R Gordon, A Nugent, J Gilchrist, M Newell, D Hyland, R McMurray, J McCulla, S Burden. Subs: A McAllister, G Graham, L Maybin, R Doran, S Knox.

Newcastle Swifts 0

Annalong Swifts 5

HARRY CLARKE CUP SEMI-FINAL

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