NAFL lift the Britton Rosebowl

NAFL lift the Britton Rosebowl

15 May 2019

BY any measure, Paul Trainor has had a momentous season steering Crumlin Star to the Amateur League Premiership title, winning the Border Cup  and lifting the Match Intermediate Cup.  

His Amateur League Representative then side provided the icing on an already well-layered cake winning the Britton Rosebowl 4-3 on penalties after being tied 1-1 at full-time at Falkirk.

This was Trainor’s second time at the helm for the Amateur League having taken over at short notice in 2018 when his side won 1-0 at Rathfriland.  

The scorer that day was his club talisman Joe McNeill, who this time joined the squad as captain with a wrist injury sustained as Star lifted the Intermediate Cup on Thursday night.

Trainor’s backroom staff was his club staff and included Paul Berne, himself a former representative team captain from the game at Lesser Hamden in 2017.  

The teams had previously met twice at Falkirk with the Amateur League winning 2-0 in 1994/95 and the Scots winning 2-1 in 2004/05.

The first half saw the Amateur League as the more dominant side. Danny McKee clearly troubled the Scots and he came close to scoring in the 12th minute.  

Davy Ferguson made a good save from a header. The game became a tale of two ‘sevens’ for a while with Stephen Cockcroft and the Scots’ Mark Taylor both looking capable of changing the game.  

Jack Sharvin and Joe McNeill were busy and creative in the midfield. McKee had a half chance from distance after controlling the ball well with his chest. Indeed, it was McKee who scored the breakthrough goal in the 38th minute when he slotted home after 

the Scottish ‘keeper failed to hold the ball.

The second half saw the Scots come into the game more. The usual rash of substitutions, which you would expect in this type of fixture, ensued. 

Ironically, one of the substitutions was almost the Amateur League’s undoing as ‘keeper Ryan Walsh strained his groin. The injury left him powerless to prevent a headed goal from the Scots to equalise.

Game management then became important as the Amateur League tentatively proved for a goal but kept a firm eye on the defence as Trainor exhorted his players to ‘look after the house.’  

The game went straight to kicks from the penalty mark. 

Joe McNeill’s first spot kick was saved, but the Scots also missed their first.  

Aidan McNeill, Nathan Jones, Cockcroft and McKee all scored and the Scots missed their last kick to ensure the Rosebowl would be on the journey back home.

Man of the match was East Belfast’s Stephen Cockcroft. There were big performance from Daryll Evans and Ross McCaughan too but, truth be told, everyone gave their all.  

A special mention must go to Ryan Walsh who came on as sub in goal, strained his groin and battled through to the end.

Northern Amateur Football League: David Ferguson (Rathfriland), Michael McKenna (Larne Tech), Aidan McNeill (Crumlin Star), Matthew Devine (Larne Tech), Ross McCaughran (East Belfast), Daryl Evans (Rathfriland), Stephen Cockcroft (East Belfast), Joe McNeill (Crumlin Star), Danny McKee (East Belfast), Adam Neale (Killyleagh YC) and Jack Sharvin (Killyleagh YC). Subs: Ryan Walsh (Ballynahinch Olympic) Dalton Tate (Ballynahinch Olympic), Andy Mooney (Crumlin United), Nathan Jones (Ballynahinch Olympic), Kevin Trainor (Crumlin Star).