Strangford seal cup clash with shoot-out

Strangford seal cup clash with shoot-out

19 January 2022

STRANGFORD advanced to the second round of the Harry Clarke Cup after an entertaining clash with a Kilmore Rec seconds outfit needed a penalty shootout to decide the outcome on Saturday afternoon.

It was the visitors who kicked off at Kilmore Playing Fields and it wouldn’t be long before they were on the attack.

Following some neat build-up play from Conan Hynds and Michael Lawson, Strangford’s Conal Fitzsimmons was set through on goal and calmly finished into the bottom right corner of the net.

However, referee Jens Pepe ensured this early advantage was chalked off after it was adjudged the striker had strayed offside.

Kilmore responded positively with Gary Stranney picking out team-mate Shaun Kerr at the back post, although his effort blazed over the bar.

It wouldn’t take long for the deadlock to be broken and it would go the way of the away side. The ever dangerous Fitzsimmons played an inviting ball forward to ‘Ford winger Lawson, who played the ball across the goal mouth with pace.

Despite Kilmore ‘keeper Dominic McClements getting a touch on the ball, he could do nothing when it rolled invitingly into the path of Hynds, who tapped in for an easy finish to open the scoring.

This seemed to give the hosts a much needed shake and they decided to fight fire with fire. Just two minutes after the first goal of the contest, The Blues were awarded a penalty following a Strangford handball inside their own box – much to the deliberation of the travelling management team.

Gary Stranney coolly converted his penalty, sending ‘Ford custodian Ryan McDowell the wrong way to level the tie.

Both ‘keepers remained busy throughout the contest, with Kilmore’s McClements having his gloves tested from range before McDowell received a similar test at the other end.

The visitors began to pass long from the back and it was one such long ranged pass from defender Daniel Kelly into the feet of Fitzsimmons which almost shot Strangford back in front.

However, once more McClements was equal to the task and denied the one on one effort.

Kilmore’s James Casement was making his presence known in the form of crunching tackles, with one challenge causing a confrontation and resulting in the Blues’ number ten and Strangford captain Luke Reilly receiving yellow cards.

Soon after, a threaded pass split the Strangford defence and found its way to Blues’ striker Ben Lennon, although his effort was smartly stopped by the acrobatic save of McDowell.

Kilmore began to get a foothold on the contest and began pushing the Strangford 11 back into their own half through wave after wave of attacks.

Kilmore goal- scorer Stranney was the latest to enter the referee’s book after a late challenge stemmed from perhaps some over-eagerness to retrieve the ball. 

Despite this pressure, both sides entered the break on level terms.

Just five minutes into the restart and Strangford arms were up in the air as they appealed for a penalty after a foul in the danger area.

However, these were swiftly waved off and play continued with Rory Reilly beginning to boss patches of the midfield for the visitors.

The Ford’s James Mahoney was another player giving a great account of themselves on the pitch, as the tricky winger danced around defenders at will during the second half.

He was also involved when his strike past McClements was diverted away from goal through the head of Kilmore’s Conor McStay, who commendably headed the effort off the goalline.

Although McClements had let this effort slip past him, he did produce the save of the match during the next passage of play when ‘Ford’s Fitzsimmons was presented with a golden opportunity to give his side the lead.

With just the ‘keeper left to beat having outsmarted the offside trap, Fitsimmons thundered his strike towards goal but was denied by a fantastic finger-tipped save from the Kilmore number one.

The Blues responded with a brace of efforts from the lively Stranney, whose consecutive chances went wide of the target.

At the clock quickly ran down, both sides knew that extra-time loomed with each side pushing for a last minute winner.

However, there was to be no name in lights within regulation time as the referee sounded his whistle for a further twenty minutes of action to be played.

It was clear to the surrounding spectators that the opening 90 minutes had taken its toll on both teams, as the players battled through cramp and fatigue.

The highlight of this extended period of time came in the dying seconds from Strangford’s Fitzsimmons, who saw his effort clip the outside of the post and go wide.

The dreaded penalty shootout followed, where Strangford shot into a two goal lead as Kilmore failed to convert their opening spot kicks.

In what was a drama filled contest to the end, Strangford missed their next two penalties, giving the hosts the chance to draw level, which they made no mistake in doing.

With it now essentially sudden death, a save from McDowell and winning kick from Rory Reilly proved decisive as Strangford marched into the second round of the Harry Clarke Cup.

After the contest, Reilly reflected on his decisive penalty and his side’s performance as a whole.

“It was tough going out there, it went tit for tat but we came through the penalties at the end so no complaints from me,” he said.

“We got ahead in the shootout then did our best to give it back to them. 

“When it all came down to the last kick, I hit it hard and low like I have been always taught to do since I was young.”

He added: “The ‘keeper got a touch on the ball but the ball went in and that’s all that matters.” 

Kilmore: D McClements, P McMullan, C Murdock, C McStay, N McClements, P O’Prey, S Kerr, B Lennon, J Casement, G Stranney.

Subs: R McGreevy, J Davey, E Maguire.

Yellow Cards: J Casement, G Stranney.

Strangford: R McDowell, S McGrattan, D Kelly, L Reilly, F McFall, R Reilly, M Lawson, C Hynds, C Fitzsimmons, J Mahoney, C Magee.

Subs: S Savage, C Vaughan, E Watterson.

Yellow Cards: L Reilly.

Referee: Jens Pepe.