Missed chances costly for Killough

Missed chances costly for Killough

11 December 2013

MOURNE Rovers upset the odds to book their place in the ClubSport NI Bobby Dalzell Cup final with Castlewellan at Meadowvale on Boxing Day.

Victory after a penalty shoot-out at Bear Park was no more than what Rovers deserved after losing out in both semi-finals of the Bobby Dalzell and Harry Clarke Cups last season.

The game had finished 0-0, despite chances being created by both sides, but five absolutely faultless penalties from Rovers sent them hurtling through to a Christmas showdown with their old rivals.

The Mourne side settled quicker and with six minutes gone Michael Ireland shot wide after the Killough defence failed to deal with a long throw from the right.

Three minutes Killough got lucky when Leo Noble bundled Ryan Kelly over in the box, off the ball, but he got away with it, with the referee and his assistants unsighted.

The game got a bit bogged down in the middle for a while, but with 22 minutes gone a long ball from Nicky O’Connor picked out the run of Ross Armstrong.

Alas, he lobbed the ball over the bar from just outside the box. A minute later at the other end a cross from Collie Burden picked out Connaire Harrison in the box, but he headed the ball tamely at a grateful Chris Mallon.

After Tony McIlhone, Freddie O’Connor, Pat McManus and Ryan O’Hare all picked up bookings in a frenetic 10 minute period, Ireland shot wildly over the bar following a corner when he really should have hit the target.

Burden and Connaire Harrison were then booked before a Ryan Kelly run and shot kept Mallon his toes. Kelly then entered the referee’s notebook in the 46th minute before Kevin Groves headed a perfect cross from Freddie O’Connor wide in the best move of the game.

Rovers, who now were facing into a stiff breeze, started the second half on the attack and with 47 minutes gone Mallon saved well from Connaire Harrison.

Two minutes later O’Hare blazed another shot over the bar before Killough retaliated with a lightening counterattack.

Matthew Sharvin received the ball out wide left before he cut in, left two defenders for dead and with only Shane Harrison to beat, drilled the ball wide.

Three minutes later at the other end O’Hare rounded Matthew Burns and went down in the box as he went to pull the trigger, but no penalty was given, yet another good decision from referee Ritchie Shilliday.

Killough brought on Matt McKiernan and Gareth George in in a bid to liven things up and these switches, with Freddie O’Connor moving to the right flank, certainly worked.

O’Connor, a restless dynamo if ever there was one, beat Noel McArdle and delivered an inch perfect cross for Sharvin.

All he had to do was tuck the ball past Shane Harrison, which he did, but the ball cruelly struck the base of the post and was hastily hacked clear. Three minutes later Sharvin played in Freddie O’Connor, but his lob from the edge of the box went over the top, another great chance wasted.

It was all Killough now and a goal seemed inevitable, but a dogged Rovers took the game to extra-time with some resilient defending.

Chances were few and far between in both periods of extra-time, but the best one fell to Conor Kelly who shot high, wide and handsome and so to penalties.

Rarely have I seen such accuracy from the first nine penalty takers as McArdle, Kelly, Connaire Harrison, O’Hare and Ireland scored for Rovers and George, McKiernan, Kelly and Armstrong finding the net for Killough.

Freddie O’Connor, who must have run Ruairi Doran close for the man of the match award, could only watch on in horror when he sent his spot kick the wrong side of the upright to hand a cup final spot to Mourne Rovers.

Mourne Rovers: S. Harrison, M. Trimble, N. McArdle, R. Doran, C. Burden, P. McManus, C. Harrison, R. O’Hare, M. Ireland, J. Carroll, R. Kelly. Subs: C. McDowell, P. Grant, R. McAteer, R. McDowell, R. Sloan.

Killough: C. Mallon, M. Burns, J. Clarke, L. Noble, C. Stranney, N. O’Connor, F. O’Connor, K. Groves, T. McIlhone, R. Armstrong, M. Sharvin. Subs: C. Kelly, S. Black, M. McKiernan, A. Sharvin, G. George.

Mourne Rovers 5

Killough 4

BOBBY DALZELL CUP SEMI-FINAL