Comber Rec Drop Their Guard And East Belfast Lands Knockout Punch In Last Kick Of The Border Cup Semi-Final
The NAFL,
Border Cup Semi-Final,
Venue: Blanchflower Stadium, 26 11 25,
Final Score: East Belfast 2 2 Comber Rec (East Belfast won on 4-2 penalties after extra time.)
This was a showdown between to Premier Divison rivals and Comber Rec for most of it looked in charge. The attacking duo in the Comber front line of Dylan Donaldson and Dylan Wilson make a number of great charges at the East Belfast goal and eventually after Comber pressing early, James Sofley received the ball in the box and sent it to the back post beating keeper Scott Mashal.
The match trundled on with a number of opportunities presenting for Comber. On one occasion a volley rebounded off a defender and Donaldson was almost on it to score number two for Comber but Mashal got there first.
Wilson was making some great run down the right wing and crossing well. Then Chris Murray got possession and ran at the East Belfast box and unleashed a solid strike but it rose inches over the bar.
Again Murray hit another corker of a volley to the back post it it went wide again.
But East Belfast did make a few charges at the Comber goal but Corey Pollock managed to keep everything well under control. Lewis McCullough did manage a long volley but that sailed over the top bar.
SEE THE DOWN NEWS ACTION PHOTOS OF THE MATCH HERE
Taylor Evans was looking most likely to score for East Belfast having made some good moves.
The match ran on with both teams working hard but Comber still looked the more dominant.
As the second half started East Belfast piled on the pressure but they were well held by the Comber defence.
As the match progressed Dylan Wilson received a bad cit to his head and a bandage had to be applied but he opted to play on.
It was never-the-less a tight match so far with only one goal. And Comber probably felt they were home in a boat when they got the dying embers of the full time BUT fate raised its ugly head and in the last minute of time, Kyle Woods scored for East Belfast to force teh match into extra-time.
From a throw in, Dylan Donaldson rocket the ball on target into the East Belfast net to the jubilation of Comber.
SEE THE DOWN NEWS ACTION PHOTOS OF THE MATCH HERE
But as Comber hung on East Belfast made a number of surging attacks and finally Daryl Evans headed the ball home for East Belfast to make the score 2-2 in the last minute of extra time.
The match hung in the balance and it came to the final kick of the match and Comber’s bogeyman Evans scored putting East Belfast through on 4-2 penalties after drawing 2-2 after extra time.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for Comber Rec who had the match in the bag on two occasions.
From the 94th minute to 110th minute, East Belfast received 4 yellow cards which shows that their game had tightened up against Comber becoming more physical.
East Belfast will now go and meet Derriaghy FC on the 27th December in the final of the Border Cup.
East Belfast: 1 Scott Mashal (GK) 2 Bradley Porter 3 Lewis McCullough 4 Jack Kinner 5 Taylor Evans 6 Rhys Kelly 7 Paul Waite 8 Daryl Evans (C) 9 Jayden Withers 10 Kyle Woods 11 Nathan Clarke 12 Brandon Lindsay 14 Kyle Flynn 15 Noah Mitchell.
Comber Rec: 1 Corey Pollock 2 Natthew Gibson 3 Brandon Nelson 4 Lex Walker 5 Stuart Moore 6 Dylan Donaldson 7 Dylan Wilson 8 Simon Hanna (C) 9 James Sofley 10 Matthew Tumilson 11 Christopher Murray. Subs: 12 Christian Irvine 14 Stephen Fleck 15 Elliot Wilson.
