Reece revels in Linfield success

Reece revels in Linfield success

4 January 2017

IT certainly was a Christmas to remember for Ballynahinch teenager Reece Neale.

The 18 year-old defender captained Linfield Swifts to Steel & Sons Cup glory over Dundela at Seaview on Christmas Eve. Also included in the Linfield team was Lisbane’s Timmy Browne who came on as a second half substitute.

Reece, a Linfield supporter, was delighted to have been part of the team which brought the coveted trophy back to Windsor Park for the first time in almost 20 years.

“The Steel and Sons is by far the best thing I’ve won. To have won it with such a big club like Linfield and to make the club’s history books by winning it for the first time since 1997 is just something else. It was an unbelievable feeling to lift it with all my team-mates and the coaching staff, he said.”

“I’ve been at Linfield since I was 14 and this is undoubtedly the best achievement so far. Getting to parade the trophy in front of all the Blue men and women just topped it all off for me. Having them all applaud us round the pitch before the derby against Glentoran was magic. 

”It couldn’t have happened on a better day with it being such a big Linfield crowd and the biggest occasion in local football. Celebrating our success in front of our appreciative fans was the icing on the cake after what was a memorable day winning the cup at Seaview,” he added.

They were also celebrating down Newcastle way after the club’s second string punched above their weight to wrestle the Toals Bobby Dalzell Cup away from Annalong Swifts at Meadowvale on Boxing Day, thanks to a magical double from hit man James Magee.

However, it was all doom and gloom at Downpatrick FC as they disappointingly lost the Border Cup final to Rathfriland Rangers at Seaview — the eighth consecutive final they have lost. 

Manager Joe McMahon was at a loss to explain what went wrong in his side’s 2-1 defeat to Rathfriland and he was still hurting several days later.

“It has been a miserable Christmas on the football front, but we will pick ourselves up and go again,” he said.