Border Cup continues for Mills after first round win

Border Cup continues for Mills after first round win

31 August 2022

DRUMANESS Mills advanced to the second round of the Border Cup after coming out on top in a nine goal thriller at Meadowvale in the Border Cup against Larne Technical Old Boys on Saturday.

The first goal of the game went to Drumaness after Rory Mason’s corner kick was flicked on by Jack Sharvin for Ben Campbell to finish in style. 

Drumaness kept piling on the pressure and came close again in the 13th minute when Ben Campbell brought the ball from his own half and found Callum Dougan, whose tricky shot just went wide. 

Drumaness’ Adam Kearney had a penalty appeal waved away by the referee after he was seemingly brought down by the goalkeeper inside the box. 

However, Drumaness managed to double their lead when Jack Sharvin walked the ball right through Larne defence for an easy finish. 

Larne were not finding anyway through the Drumaness defence and the threat of Mason up the left wing kept the challenges coming. 

Things continued to go south for Larne as Ciaran Heggarty came off due to an injury in the 27th minute with Matthew Kerr coming on. 

Drumaness nearly made it 3-0 in the 37th minute when Dougan brought the ball from his own half right into the opposition’s box, but his shot crashed off the crossbar. 

Drumaness got their third goal when Mason played a pass across to Sharvin, who set-up Dougan for the finish. 

Half time: Drumaness Mills 3 Larne Tech OB 0.

Due to the scoreline, Larne was throwing everything at Drumaness and it paid off in the 54th minute when Paul Maguire got the visitors their first goal. 

Larne closed the gap to a goal when Hyslop got his second of the game through a free kick at the corner of the box. 

The ball curved around the wall and goalkeeper Gary O’Hare had no chance in stopping it. 

Drumaness restored the two goal lead quickly after as Sharvin notched his second goal of the game. 

A throw-in up the right wing found Sharvin in a one on one with the goalkeeper and there was only ever going 

to be one outcome. Drumaness found their groove again and a possible goal of the season contender came in the 62nd minute as Mason, at the edge of the box, rallied the ball into the back of the net. 

From here on, Larne had finally sorted their leaky back line to prevent an extended lead. 

Despite the scoreline, the game was nowhere near over ten minutes from time. 

Larne’s Maguire got his second of the game out of nowhere before his team closed the gap to one in the 82nd minute, when a corner kick into the box found the head of Conan Mulvenna to score.

Sensing the danger, Drumaness played short and kept possession, controlling play and ensuring no silly mistakes were made until the full-time whistle finally sounded.

Drumaness Mills: G O’Hare, B Campbell, O Wright, C Burns, G Murdock, J Healy, A Kearney, K McCleery, C Dougan, J Sharvin, R Mason. 

Subs: R Fitzpatrick, C Dornan, D Forsythe.

Larne Tech OB: J Ferguson, M Sterrett, C Mulvenna, M McKenna, M Hyslop, C Mulholland, C Heggarty, B Morton, P Maguire, L Harrison, C Todd. 

Subs: B Maxwell, M Kerr, K McMullan.