Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Swift end for Dokens after Ben’s second-half treble
BE N Ga r r ic k he lped himself to a hat-trick as East Craigie Swifts eased i nto the th i rd rou nd of t he U/19 Scott ish Cup w ith a 6-1 win over North End.
However, it wasn’t all plain sailing for Swifts as the first half ended goalless at Fairmuir.
That was after Steve Fallon’s men missed a few chances and also passed up a gilt-edged opportunity when Hayden Burr failed to convert from the spot after the visitors were awarded a penalty.
A few choice words at the break from the Swifts coaching staff, however, had the desired effect and they raced into a three-goal lead.
Centre-half Jake Strachan got the all-important opener when he pounced to knock home a loose ball after a free-kick had been played into the box.
Garrick quickly added a second and third as Swifts appeared to take the game away from their hosts.
Indeed, they thought they had a fourth goal but the referee awarded a goal kick after the ball appeared to slip through a hole in the net.
And, to compound matters, the Dokens went right up the pitch and pulled one back.
Swifts weren’t to be denied, though, and a Chris Mudie strike made it 4-1 before Garrick grabbed his treble with a fine header.
Dru Wighton completed the scoring when he nipped in and rounded the keeper before slotting in No 6.
“We played really well in the first half but didn’t take our chances,” said Swifts coach Steve Fallon.
“At half-time all we said was to keep going and keep applying the pressure and it paid off.
“It was a good team performance and we were able to use all 16 players in the pool.”
Swifts now face Leven at home on Sunday in the East Region Cup, a competition they won at U/17 level.
“This will be our third cup-tie in a row. We’ve been good recently and have been racking up the goals,” added Fallon.
“Hopefully, we can keep the form up.”