Cockram hat-trick seals Garvey win

LISNAGARVEY spent a very difficult 70 minutes at Comber Road on Saturday before scraping to a 3-2 win over a spirited Kilkeel team. Twice the home side had to come from behind and only the brilliance of the recently 150 times capped Irish international Timmy Cockram saw them through.

Sluggish from the start and a goal adrift after just two minutes when Kilkeel broke down the middle of the pitch and William Annett found the net with Garvey hardly awake.

Garvey immediately replied with their first penalty corner but Kilkeel keeper, Sam Morris made a superb save with his stick from Cockram in the sixth minute as Garvey slowly took control of the pattern of the game.

Kilkeel, however, were quick to respond to the pressure on the break and in the ninth minute, Garvey keeper John Tormey had to make a timely block to prevent the visitors improving their lead.

Timmy Cockram, a constant threat to the Kilkeel defence, forced his side’s second penalty corner in the 14th minute but again the move broke down leaving Garvey still the single goal behind at the interval.

The second half began with Greg Thompson screwing his reverse stick shot well past the post and in the 37th minute they forced their second penalty corner. This time the Cockram drag flick was deflected on to the cross bar by the brilliant Morris and another chance was lost.

Richard Arneill made good ground down the right in the 39th minute and when the ball fell to Timmy Cockram, he blasted the ball past Morris on the reverse from an angle on the right of the circle; a superb effort from a class player.

Cockram followed his goal with a shot which cannoned of the upright in the 41st minute but Garvey’s equaliser was nullified in the 43rd minute when Annett combined with Agnew before the latter shocked Garvey with Kilkeel’s second goal and the home side struggling for an answer.

Garvey’s fourth penalty corner in the 45th minute was again brilliantly saved by Morris but a fifth set piece in the 46th minute saw Cockram dispense with the drag flick as he drove the ball past Morris with some power to at last bring Garvey back to parity at 2-2.

Timmy Cockram caused all the problems to the Kilkeel defence as the game entered its last quarter; he had at least three shots at goal and Daniel Buser also had a good chance to grab the winner in the 62nd minute but all attempts were repelled by a stubborn Kilkeel rearguard and particularly keeper Morris.

However, in the 65th minute, a Greg Thompson deflection into the path of Timmy Cockram saw Garvey’s ‘ace in the pack’ crash the ball past the gallant Morris for a late and hardly deserved winner. Cockram had a chance to score his fourth goal of the afternoon in the last minute but his penalty corner effort was again well blocked by Morris who would have been a worthy man of the match but for Cockram’s brilliant three goal match winning contribution.

Garvey now have a break until the Kirk Cup final against Cookstown on Boxing Day. It will give them a chance to get all their players fit for the ‘big day’ at Comber Road.