Write a commentMinor Cup Final Win for Newry Thirds!
Newry travelled to Stormont hoping to make it third time lucky as they took on Kilkeel 3rds in the Minor Cup Final. This Mourne Derby was played in great spirit and it turned out to be a pulsating match with plenty of goal mouth action for the spectators to enjoy.
It was Newry who had to weather an early storm as Kilkeel started well but could not find the break through, against the run of play Newry scored first when Lee Ervine plucked an aerial ball from David England out of the air and smashed it past the advancing keeper to make it one nil. Newry’s lead did not last long and Kilkeel were soon level when they scored through a penalty stroke. At half time it was all square.
Kilkeel were the younger of the two sides and their fitness showed at times but they again slipped behind when Scott Blakley popped up to drive the ball home early in the second half. However as with the first goal, their lead did not last long and a great flick from a short corner drew Kilkeel level again. With the game at 2 a piece both sides had chances but it was hard to say which way the game was going to go. From somewhere Newry found a new lease of life and in the last 15 minutes of the game they fired 3 goals. The first came from sub Alex Irwin when he was on hand at the back post to volley home a deflected effort to restore Newry’s lead, soon after David England scored a penalty stroke of his own when the ball was stopped on the line illegally. Newry now had a commanding 2 goal lead with 5 minutes reaming. Kilkeel never gave in and kept pressing forward but they could not force their way into the Newry area as the Belfast Rd men defending for their lives. With the final counter attack of the game Newry had a counter attack and won a short corner, after a bit of a melee in the circle, Jonny McWilliams came out with the ball and superbly slotted home to leave the final score 5-2.
This was a great win and well deserved as Newry took the Minor Cup home after a great season which is not over yet with a playoff match against South Antrim for the league title still to be contested.
Team: P. Elmore, J. Lawson, A. Baird, E. Graham, K. Best, D. England, S. Garvey, D. Lawson, L. Ervine, J. McWilliams, S. Blakley, A. Irwin, A. Foster, M. McCaigue, J. Niblock,
Newry 3’s 5-2 Kilkeel 3’s
