Cup woe for sorry Mills

Cup woe for sorry Mills

2 October 2013

DRUMANESS Mills were given a salutary lesson on how to convert chances as Ballyclare Comrades booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Steel & Sons Cup.

The Mills were left to ponder what might have been had they been able to play any one of their five unavailable strikers, Philip Rogan, Nathan Jones, Stevie Rogan, Stefan Mason and Brian McIlmurray, all missing for one reason or another.

Drumaness started with plenty of swagger and with two minutes gone Rory Mason, who started down the middle, played a delightful ball out wide left to Gavin McEvoy.

He beat his marker and had only Sean McQuoid to pick out for a simple tap in, but Paddy Flood dived bravely at the feet of the  midfielder to cut the cross out.

Seven minutes later Drumaness carved out another opening when Owen Wright burst on to the scene, but his cross was missed by Paul Walsh before Conor Walsh drilled the loose ball wide of the target.

Ballyclare started to settle and with 12 minutes gone they served notice of intent when Ryan Walsh tipped a Danny Smith header over the top for a corner

The visitors were now building up a nice head of steam, but Drumaness failed to take notice and paid the penalty. An Andy Simms corner was headed wide by Smith before Comrades got lucky.

Simms looked to have taken the ball out over the by-line, but the referee waved play on with the Drumaness players all appealing that the ball was dead.

Ballyclare won a corner as the Mills lost their concentration and when Simms fired it in, Andy Doyle,  headed home.

Ballyclare continued to probe and with 19 minutes gone Adam McCart headed a cross from Chris Monteith well wide.

The second goal wasn’t long in coming and with 22 minutes gone Wright was harshly adjudged to have brought down Smith in the box and Simon Magowan converted the resultant penalty.

Fair play to Drumaness, they came storming back into contention and with 31 minutes gone they reduced the leeway. Anton McGrattan headed a Mason cross against the upright, but McQuoid was on hand to steer in the rebound.

The Mills now had a new lease of life, but they went and shot themselves in the foot right on the stroke of half-time when they allowed a Simms corner to sail directly into the net.

The second half was a bit of a damp squib as Ballyclare simply closed up shop and were content to defend deep and hit the Mills on the break.

The next real chance fell to McEvoy in the 70th minute, but he headed another Mason cross wide. Ballyclare had no such difficulty and with 77 minutes gone Kyle Agnew netted his side’s fourth goal as Drumaness exited their second cup competition in two weeks.

Drumaness Mills: R. Walsh, G. Morrison, O. Wright, B. Ward, G. Murdock, P. Walsh, G. McEvoy, S. McQuoid, A. McGrattan, C. Walsh, R. Mason. Subs: S. McKibbin, P. Grant, J. Barlow, R. Campbell.

Drumaness Mills 1

Ballyclare Comrades 4

STEEL & SONS CUP ROUND 4