Double bid on track as Rock survive major scare
THE champions’ ambitions of completing the double remained on track but only after a hard struggle where they had to come from behind to secure victory with two goals in the first period of extra-time, the firsta spectacular effort by Tom Jackson in the Under-17 Cup quarter-final at Sandy Lane.
The visitors finished two places below Rock in the league but the best result they managed was a draw in the three meetings between the sides,with the other two games ending in defeat.
However, they looked like they drew encouragement from that draw which was in the most recent encounter between the sides at the same venue. For they started the better side and were worthy of the lead that Daniel McDonnell gave them after ten minutes.
They had forced the issue from the start, winning two corners in a row from the second of which centre-half Gavin Gregory showed the danger that he posed in the air, heading wide.
Daniel McDonnell and the speedy and tricky winger Colm Farrell each threatened the Rock goal with a shot each before Neil Smyth drew the firstsave of the match from the outstanding Bellurgan goalkeeper Brendan O’Hagen. He parried away a venomous drive by the Rock striker after the visitors struggled to clear the ball.
However, Mc Donnell underlined Bellurgan’s serious intent when he broke free down the left side and into the Rock box and with home defenders slow to close him down he shot and perhaps with a slight deflectionbeat Tom McDonough in the home goal after ten minutes.
Gregory rose above the Rock defence again to gain a free header from a corner, but couldn’t direct his effort on target before his side somehow survived a frantic melee intheir box. Twice the ball was blocked on their goal line after two of Rock’s best players Aidan Curtinand Kitzito Ekwueme were responsible for instigating concerted pressure on the Bellurgan goal. Curtin intercepted the ball in mid-field and sent his teammateracing into the box down the left.
Rock played with far more intensity and urgency in the second-half, with Ekwueme leading the way, with his strength and pace. Twice he sprung clear into the Bellurgan box, the first instance entirely by his own effort, and the second time by virtue of a knock down by Neil Smyth.
He was thwarted each time by O’Hagen from point blank range and the Rock players must have wondered whether they could find a way past the goalkeeper.
However, Ekwueme’s persistence paid dividends as he surged clear again into the box to the endline on the left and pulled the ball back to the in-running Oisin Meegan to steer it low into the far corner of the net
O’Hagen denied Tom Jackson in another one on one duel, when Ekwueme slipped him clear into the box, and also Peter McStravick from nearly the exact same position after great hold-up play by Ekwueme allowed Jackson to feed the ball through to their teammate.
Oliver McGuinness nearly snatched a dramatic winner for Bellurgan with a minute left when he to eluded the home defence in the penalty box to strike a volley from a long free kick but couldn’t direct it on target.
Only a minute into extra-time and Jackson lurking outside the Bellurgan box finished off the move of the match as Johnny Kieran put Curtin away down the left and he rolled the ball back to Jackson to send the ball arcing into the far top corner of the net.
Five minutes later Kieran virtually sealed Rock’s passage into the semi-finals when he converted Peter McStravick’s low cross to the near post.
However, Bellurgan refused to bow and subjected Rock to sustained pressure after home goalkeeper Tom McDonough was penalised for carrying the ball outside the box.
Daniel McDonnell rammed the ball past the Rock wall and inside the near post from the resulting free-kick but referee Denis Dullaghan ordered it be retaken and it came to nothing.
Still Rock goalkeeper McDonough had to be at his best to keep out a powerful shot by McDonnell beforehis side knew for sure that they are were through to the last four. ROCK: Tom McDonough, Liam McDonnell, Odhran Duffy, Mark Hanna, Conor Neary, Senan Duffy, Tom Jackson, Kitzito Ekwueme, Oisin Meegan, Aidan Curtin, Neil Smyth, Peter McStravick, Johnny Kieran, Rory Staunton.
BELLURGAN: Brendan O’Hagen, Marc Murphy, Dylan Gray, Andrew Byrne, Gavin Gregory, Barry Burke, Shane O’Brien, Luca Grennan, Oliver McGuinness, Daniel McDonnell, Colm Farrell, Alex O’Hagen, Shane McAvinney, Eoghan O’Connor.