CLARENCE CUP HEARTBREAK FOR WELLINGTON REC
IMMACULATA FC 3, WELLINGTON REC 2 (after extra time)
WELLINGTON Rec’s dream of bringing some silverware back to Brookvale Park ended with a spectacular long distance strike from Kevin Hughes four minutes into the second period of extra time.
That goal saw Immaculata FC lift their third trophy in just over a week, with the Clarence Cup joining the Junior Cup and the Junior Shield in their trophy cabinet.
Division 2C newcomers Immaculata surely are the ‘team of the season’, with three cups and the Division 2C championship to come.
Wellington manager Jim Hagan conceded, “The better side won. They were exactly as I expected, they worked and worked and worked. They play a high line and leave a lot of space and we got round the back a few times but our final ball at times wasn’t good.
“We were more dangerous from corners and set pieces for we were a bigger team but from open play we struggled.
“In the aerial battles we weren’t getting in clean headers in midfield or defence – and we weren’t holding the ball up at times as well as we should have. We were getting pushed back – and just didn’t put our foot on the ball and move it about.
“For whatever reason, too many of our boys seemed froze on the night; they seemed quite nervous and I don’t understand it for a lot of them have been in football long enough.
“I had been preaching to them to take a touch and pass it but it was like a hot potato to them at times. In saying that, we had four good chances and could have killed it off at 2-1.”
Perhaps those nerves stemmed from Wellington realising they were just so tantalisingly close to bringing their first cup back to Millbrook, up against a side who were in their fourth final of the season (having being pipped for the Cochrane and Corry Cup by Crumlin Star last month).
Rec ought to have put the final beyond Immaculata’s reach when, at two-one, there looked to be no way back for the 2C giantkillers.
The story of Scott Cowie scoring the 52nd minute winner, after his man of the match performance against Malachians in the semi final and after his spectacular own goal looked to have the Millbrookers tumbling out of the competition in the quarter final at 18th Newtownabbey, was being written.
It was Wellington who ought to have made their mark early on, in a final delayed due to the late arrival of the Immaculata kit, which had been held up in the traffic chaos on Wednesday night. Immaculata admitted that they didn’t get their usual warm up and they were nearly caught cold when Darren McAllister flashed one wide of the target.
Craig Cowie, nicely fed by Scott Todd, then showed his undoubted pace but his right wing cross was scrambled clear for a corner.
At the other end Christopher Lawlor and Daniel Collins both had efforts wide of the left hand post while it took a well timed challenge from Uel O’Neill to rob the well placed Lawlor.
Wellington might have done better on 22 minutes when William Wharry, out on the left, did well to retrieve possession, threading the ball through nicely for Craig Cowie to accelerate through only to curl his shot round keeper Gerard Smith and the left hand post.
Four minutes later Andy Bell surely should have at least forced Smith into a save, having seemingly done everything right in teeing up a Scott Cowie cross, but dragged the ball well wide of the left hand upright.
Wellington lived dangerously on 36 minutes when Lawlor, just a few yards out, rose unchallenged, but headed a left wing cross just the wrong side of the bar.
Three minutes later, keeper Brendan Quinn did well to dart off his line and cut down the angles, pulling off a fine one-on-one save to deprive Hughes after Todd had been dispossessed by Gerard O’Rawe.
It was Immaculata who broke the impasse on 41 minutes thanks to a clean crisp strike from Hughes, beyond the helpless Quinn into the bottom right hand corner of the net.
Wellington bounced right back just three minutes later when a Scott Cowie header was handled by Gerard Rowntree.
Scott’s header looked to be goal bound and it was surprising that referee Jackie McKnight didn’t produce a card of any description but skipper Darrin Crawford banged the resultant penalty right down the centre of the goal.
The second half began with O’Neill making another telling tackle to prevent Hughes enjoying a clear run in on Quinn.
It was Wellington who edged ahead for the first time on 52 minutes; Scott Cowie at the back post turning in Darrin Crawford’s right wing corner.
The Millbrookers ought to have tightened that grip 13 minutes later when Paul Maguire burst through but the striker could only slice the ball wide of the target when better would have been justifiably expected.
It still looked as though two-one would be enough. Quinn safely gathered a long range effort from Ryan Rooney but generally Rec were comfortable, until Immaculata were tossed a lifeline on 77 minutes when Quinn, leading with his feet, recklessly chopped down Christopher Rowntree inside the box. Colm O’Riordan deposited the resultant penalty into the bottom left hand corner of the net.
Wellington almost won it just five minutes from time when Scott Cowie’s header, from a Darren McAllister free kick, was nodded off the line by Lawlor. Then, from the resultant corner, O’Neill headed Crawford’s cross against the bar with keeper Smith again well beaten.
And so into extra time which, given the drizzly night and the delayed kick off, really was played amidst the gathering gloom.
Both sides had opportunities in the first session; Quinn taking no chances in pawing a long range effort from substitute John Boyce round for a corner while Bell blazed a Maguire pass high over the bar.
With the final looking bound for penalties it was Immaculata who made the vital breakthrough four minutes into the second period thanks to a blistering long range strike from Hughes that fairly hurtled past the helpless Quinn into the top left hand corner of the net.
Wellington Rec; Quinn, Wharry, O’Neill, S Cowie, Crawford (N McAllister), C Cowie, Todd, Cahoon, D McAllister, Bell, Maguire, Subs (unused) Gregg, Kirkpatrick. Best for Wellington; Uel O’Neill.
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Weather for Larne
Thursday 09 February 2012
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