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Match Report · Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Posts: 128

U-18 v 1st Garvagh
02/03/2009
(Northern Ireland Cup, Quarter Final)

Knocknamuckley played in the Quarter Final of the Northern Ireland Cup virtue of a kind draw, which saw them recieve a bye through the first round. Having been drawn away from home for the last number of years Knocknamuckley finally recieved a home draw and entertained 1st Garvagh, who had to endure a two hour journey, at Havelock Park in Banbridge. With the Northern Ireland Cup now played as a 7-a-side, rather than 11-a-side competition, the home draw allowed Knocknamuckley to play on a pitch designed for 7-a-side football, rather than the farce of the previous year when they were beaten by 3rd Kilkeel in what effectively turned into a cross country match, played on a full sized pitch.

Knocknamuckley gave Garvagh no time to settle into the match after their long journey and forced a save in the opening minutes. Simon Grey picked the ball up out wide, and cut in, forcing the Garvagh goalkeeper to turn the ball away with his legs. There was nothing the goalkeeper could do moments later, Gregg Harrison fired a rising shot from the right edge of the box across goal and into the top corner, to give Muckley an early lead with a super strike.

Knocknamuckley were managing to start attacks from all over the pitch, and Seth Mathers picked out Jonny Mawhinney with an inch perfect a long throw, Mawhinney passed inside to Adam McKeown and continued his run to pick up the return pass, but saw his cross well blocked.

Grey had a chance to increase the lead from a John Henderson corner, but mistimed his jump. It was another header which nearly breached the Garvagh defence when a Mawhinney cross picked out Harrison at the backpost, but his header was well held. The keeper again denied Harrison, when a throw-in was not properly cleared, but Harrison fired against the keeper when well placed.

The second goal wasn't too long in coming. Mawhinney slid a well weighted ball into the box, into the run of Harrsion, who squared the ball to McKeown who had taken up a nice position, and he did the rest.

Harrison went looking for his second when he flicked the ball up wide on the right, but his shot flew wide after cutting in off his flank. The goalkeeper denied McKeown moments later when he saved from close range from the Muckley striker after Grey had played him in.

Mawhinney was again the provider for the third goal of the game after picking up in central midfield and beating his man he passed right to Harrison who shot low past the goalkeeper, who was having a busy night.

The next chance for Muckley came from almost nowhere. Andy Calvert held possesion just inside his own half. There appeared to be no pass on for the centre half, but AC managed to pick out a wonderful long ball over the top of the defence, dropping on to Harrison's head 8 yards out, but the attempted flicked header went just wide.

A Henderson corner was only partially cleared, and was struck on the half volley by Mawhinney, requiring a defensive block. McKeown was put through by a long pass, but on this occasion his control let him down. Harrison had a shot from the edge of the box saved by the goalkeepers legs, after he initially dived the wrong way, decieved by the swerve.

Stephen Russell was introduced to the play, and had an immediate impact with a wonderful deep cross, after a pass from Grey, picking out McKeown. McKeown met the ball with a powerful header, the keeper pulling off a good save.

Harrison let the Garvagh defence off when he fired well over the bar from the penalty spot, after a Mawhinney cut back left him with the goal at his mercy.

Knocknamuckley made it 4-0 following a long ball from Harrison. The Garvagh defender misjudged the bouncing ball, allowing Russell in on goal. The Muckley winger kept his compusure and finished low into the far corner from just the right hand side of the box.

A blunder at the back between Mathers and Calvert at the back, when both seemed to get in each others way presented Garvagh with a chance, but Mathers made a great recovery save to keep out the shot.

Knocknamuckley continued to attack and scored a rather unusual goal. McKeown ran onto the ball inside the box, and attempted to skip round the goalkeeper, but was taken out by the advancing goalkeeper. The referee allowed the advantage to continue as Harrison and a defender chased for the ball, with both appearing to tumble as the ball rolled into the net, Harrison claiming the last touch to complete his hat-trick.

Muckley conspired to miss the last chance of the half, as Harrison and Mawhinney got in each others road following a McKeown cut-back.

Half time 1st Knocknamuckley 5 v 0 1st Garvagh

Colin Irwin and Stuart Campbell were introduced at half-time for Muckley.

After Knocknamucley having controlled the first, the first chance fell to Garvagh in the second, as the Muckley midfield went missing allowing a through-ball which caught the defence napping. Mathers did well to come out and make the save, and the clearance was complete following a Simy Grey tackle.

The chances were coming fewer and further between at the start of the second half, but Henderson came close for Muckley, hitting the base of the post from the edge of the box after cutting in onto his left foot.

After having an unsure couple of minutes to begin with, Colin Irwin found himself with a shooting oppurtunity following a Grey pass, and made no mistake with an assured finish.

Stuart Campbell missed a chance on the edge of the 6 yard box, after a pass into Irwin, but Soupy was always stretching as his shot went wide. Soupy again came close when he flicked on a Henderson cross just wide of the left hand post.

Mathers was called into action to gather a long range shot, and Garvagh were soon unlucky when their forward turned Calvert excellently, but screwed his shot just wide.

Russell used good vision to pick out a good run by Irwin, but Irwin's shot just missed the top corner. Russell and Irwin linked again soon after, when a corner from Russell picked out Irwin around 7 yards out for him to emphatically grab his second with a half volley.

Russell was again causing problems when he wiped a ball into the box, which Campbell just failed to get on the end off. It was Mawhinney who then caused a threat when he dribbled past a number of players into the box, but the goalkeeper was equal to his shot. Russell had drifted in from his berth on the right hand side, and when the ball broke to him 20 yards out chose to have a shot at goal, his powerful strike only just missing the top left and corner as the goalie remained rooted.

After Garvagh having kept Knocknauckley out for large arts of the half, there was a glut of goals as the game reached its conclusion. Mawhinney played the ball foward to Colly Irwin, who cut the ball back for Harrison. Gregg's shot was saved by the goalkeeper, but McKeown ahd followed in and knocked the rebound in. It was again McKeown who popped up with the goal, again from close range, following an Irwin cross, who was having a good half going forward.

With Muckley commiting too many men forward they were caught out at the back, allowing a Garvagh forward into the box. The Garvagh player hit a powerful shot, but Mothers managed to push the ball onto the inside of the post with a strong reaction save to maintain his clean sheet.

Mawhinney managed to get his name on the score sheet after carrying the ball forward and scoring with a cool finish off the inside of the post from just inside the box. Campbell also managed to get in on the act, knocking the ball home from a cross which had picked out his clever positon, taking the keeper out of the equation.

So the game ended with an emphatic win for the home side. With Knocknamuckley having failed to win in their last five games in the Northern Ireland Cup, a run stretching back to 2003, it was a relief to finally get a win in this very prestigious competition, and about time that this normally succesful company stopped their under achievment in the premier BB football competiton.

Full Time 1st Knocknamuckley 11 v 0 1st Garvagh

Team: Mathers; Calvert, Grey; Harrison, Henderson, Mawhinney; McKeown: Russell, C.Irwin, Campbell.

Goals: Harrison 3, McKeown 3, Russell, C.Irwin 2, Mawhinney, Campbell.