DOWN JUNIORS 0-1 GLOBAL PREMIER SOCCER
Down juniors passed up the opportunity to reach the semi-final of the SuperCupNI as they fell to a first defeat of the week to Global Premier Soccer.
Down had promised much during the first half and inside the first couple of minutes Jay Boyd picked out Lewis Davidson with a cross from the left but his header was just wide of the far post.
On 19 minutes a deep cross from GPS’s Gagliardi posed a threat but keeper McKenzie Pauley got a vital hand to the ball to take it away from the waiting Drew Kilcoyne.
With four minutes of the half to run Down made their best opening of the game when Hollinger linked up with Heron to supply Boyd but he dragged his shot the wrong side of the far upright.
The goal that would settle the game arrived on 42 minutes. A loose ball in the Down area wasn’t dealt with and when it broke to Jonathan Klein he passed his shot past the unmoved Pauley.
Two minutes later and GPS came within inches of a second when Gagliardy got his head to a deep cross from the left but directed his effort the wrong side of the post.
From there on Down’s share of the play from the first half all but evaporated as they got drawn into needless fouls by the Americans who were able to assert themselves on the match until the clock ran out.
DOWN: Pauley, Hopes, Rolleston (MacDonald 51), Locke, Clarke (Lusty 48), Magee, Hollinger, McDarby (Archer 37), Heron, Davidson, Boyd (Doyle 41)
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DOWN PREMIERS 3-0 DESPORTES IQUIQUE
The Down Premier team booked their place in the semi-finals of the SuperCupNI with a convincing win over Desportes Iquique in Broughshane.
With four points from their first two games, Down knew that a win on Wednesday would likely carry them to the last four of the competition and they got straight to work against Iquique by netting their first goal in the 2nd minutes. It was captain Jake Corbett who found the net, striking the ball home from well outside the box.
Just a minute later and the county’s lead was doubled. Eoin Teggart’s deep cross into the area found Ross Weatherup at the back post and he powered a header past keeper Capeda.
The stunned Iquique side set about getting some foothold on the match but found efforts thwarted by great defending from Glover and O’Hare.
On 25 minutes Adam Carroll put the ball into the path of Corbett but he dragged his shot wide, and
then just before the break a cross from Teggart found Ruari O’Hare, but his downward header was pushed away by Capeda.
The second half saw Down extend their control of the game, while each side gave match time to six replacements.
On 51 minutes an effort from Carroll ran wide of the target before the Iquique keeper prevented a further Down score by pushing away a shot from sub Callum Ferris.
The third and final Down goal arrived with 62 minutes gone and it was another set piece that undid Iquique as Mal Smith’s corner found the head of Corbett and he notched his second goal of the day.
Down go onto Thursday’s semi-final, where they will face Club America at Riada Stadium at 7pm.
DOWN: Carry, Smith, Glover (Curran 66), O’Hare, Conlon, Gemmell (McVeigh 66), Cushnie (Wynne 48), Corbett, Carroll (Ferris 60), Weatherup (Rooney 63), Teggart (Dinu 48)
