’Stute bow out

Henderson (10)

Institute...(0) 0

INSTITUTE’S JJB Sports Irish Cup campaign ended at Premiership men Donegal Celtic.

Ryan Henderson’s first-half goal was enough to secure managerless DC to 1-0 victory in last night’s Irish Cup fifth-round replay at Celtic Park.

After a dramatic weekend at the west-Belfast club that saw boss Paddy Kelly and his backroom staff quit amid speculation of internal disputes, it was a case of getting the job done and securing a jackpot Irish Cup home tie with Cliftonville.

In the hours that followed Kelly’s reassertion that he would not be returning to guide the team, stand-in boss Sean Hawkins watched Celtic labour to victory on a sapping surface.

As Celtic’s ship was steadied in choppy waters, Paul Carlyle’s men were left to rue missing the boat when they boasted the advantage in Drumahoe two weeks ago, where their cup romance was sunk by a freak Liam Bradley goal that forced last night’s replay.

The visitors certainly engineered enough opportunities in the first-half to be better positioned at the end of it - instead of trailing to Henderson’s ultimately decisive goal – a header that came in the 10th minute.

Paddy McLaughlin, in particular, was presented with two gilt-edged chances but on both occasions sent headers over the Celtic crossbar. He was unmarked when he met Declan McKeever’s 15th minute corner and again in the 37th minute when Dean Jarvis sent in a pin-point cross for the Institute centre-half.

In the closing stages ‘Stute striker Stephen Parkhouse was shown a straight red card for an elbow offence.

Meanwhile Newbuildings United, who are the only North West side still in the Irish Cup, will travel to Coagh United in the sixth round, after Coagh defeated Loughgall 2-1 in last night’s replay.

Donegal Celtic: Robinson, Keegan, Harkness, P Bradley (O’Hara 47), Henderson, L Bradley, D Murray (C Murray 71), McAllister, McVeigh, Burns O’Connor

Institute: Wilson, Roddy, Crown, McLaughlin, Taylor; McCauley, McBride (McCready 79), McKeever, Walsh, Parkhouse, Jarvis.