MILFORD United advanced to the next round of the Brian McCormack cup after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Rathmullan Celtic in a keenly-contested local derby at Moyle View Park.
Milford United 1 Rahmullan Celtic 1
Milford United win 8-7 on penalties.
The early exchanges were competitive with neither side creating any clear-cut chances.
In the 28th minute the home side took the lead when new signing Kyle Black got on the end of a long ball and, although his first attempt was well saved by Mark Gallagher, he scored at the second attempt despite Alan Boal’s effort to clear off the line.
Ten minutes later, Black should have scored again but headed Gary Merritt’s excellent cross from the right over the bar from twelve yards. Black had another chance five minutes later but Gallagher denied him with an excellent save.
Milford (pictured above) were made to pay for those missed chances just before half time when James Gallagher’s cross from the left was slotted home from close range by Ryan McCullagh to leave it 1-1 at the break.
The home side should have gone ahead again eight minutes after the break when Cathal McGettigan set up Lee Burke but he blasted over from sixteen yards. This set the tone for the second half as both sides created but failed to convert good goal chances.
In the sixty-seventh minute, Joey Cullen broke clear from the half way line, pulled the ball back for Black, but David Miller denied him with a super block tackle.
In the seventy-fifth minute, Rathmullan’s Ryan McCullagh was denied by Caolan McGettigan and Paddy Peoples completed the clearance. Then McGettigan denied McCullagh again with an excellent one handed save.
Sub Niall Carruthers headed just wide and Paddy Sheridan set McCullagh up but his shot was deflected for a corner.
The game’s last chance came four minutes from time, but Carruthers was denied yet again by McGettigan. With the light fading, referee Con McLaughlin who showed seven yellow cards, six of them during a lively period in the second half, decided that the game would go directly to a penalty shoot-out.
This proved to be a nerve-jangling affair as fourteen penalties were successfully converted before Rathmullan’s David Miller was denied by McGettigan and Ciaran Gibbons stepped up to win it for the home side.
Milford advance to meet Whitestrand United in the next round this weekend.
Milford United: Keelan McGettigan, Ryan Flood, Ciaran Gibbons, Mark Flood, Paddy Peoples, Adam Serrinha, Lee Burke, Joey Cullan, Kyle Black, Gary Merritt, Cathal McGettigan. Sub: Brendan Murray for Burke.
Rathmullan Celtic: Mark Gallagher, David Miller, Ryan Gildea, Alan Boal, Paddy Sheridan, Kevin Doran, Eoin Sheridan, Ryan McCullagh, Conor McCullough, Dara Patton. Subs: Niall Caruthers for Patton, Shane Barclay for E.Sheridan, Niall Doherty for Gallagher.
Referee: Mr. Con McLaughlin
Rathmullan Celtic.
