United clinch Matt Morrison Junior Cup

The Roesiders were always in control of Thursday night’s final, at Wilton Park, with skipper Duddy and defender Aaron Heaney both having super displays.

As for Colts they have to take a lot of credit particularly with their second half display, in fact throughout the 90 minutes they were the side who played probably the better football, always trying to keep the ball on the deck, but they lacked that little cutting edge in the final third.

Neither side created much in the opening quarter with neither keeper Bryan Clyde nor Ian Killen not really tested.

Ballykelly were inches away from taken the lead on 18 minutes when Paddy Logue’s centre flashed across the Colts six yard box but McGregor was unable to turn home the loose ball.

However the deadlock was broken on 30 minutes in somewhat fortunate circumstances.

McGregor’s 25 yard free-kick from the right hand edge of the box, flew over the wall and somehow went underneath keeper Clyde before trickling into the net.

Both sides weren’t really creating any openings after that goal on the half hour mark, but credit to Colts they were the side who took the game by the scruff of the neck after the break.

Simon Doherty’s side started to get their passing game going and they were inches away from levelling things on 63 minutes in spectacular fashion.

Fleet footed striker Darragh Duffy saw his long range curling free-kick from the right hand side of the penalty box, whistle just over Killen’s crossbar, with the ex-Lincoln Courts net-minder well beaten, despite diving full stretch.

United started to push forward to score that crucial second goal, but on a number of occasions when Clyde did well to parry away crosses, the ball just wouldn’t fall kindly inside the box and Colts manage to scramble the ball clear.

As for the Colts they continued to play their attractive football and had long spells of possession, but surprisingly Doherty’s men never really started to throw men forward or deliver high balls into the box in search of an equaliser and Duffy was getting frustrated.

However Ryan Magee’s charges ended the tie as a contest two minutes from time when they scored their second goal, after some slack marking by the Colts.

McGregor’s left wing corner was floated to the back post and an unmarked Duddy ghosted in to calmly side foot home the ball giving Clyde no chance. To their credit Colts continued to push forward to try and get back into the tie, but on a number of occasions United had a few chances to add a third on the counter-attack, but their final ball just let them down.

However deep into stoppage McGregor went close to scoring his second and United’s third when he was given a lot of time and space on the edge of the box, but the striker’s well drilled shot, which had Clyde beaten, clipped the top of the bar.

Ballykelly United: Ian Killen, Ciaran Carmichael, Aaron Heaney, Jason Clyde, Alan Nicholl, Jonny Duddy, Breffni King, Gary Brady, Niall McGregor, Jason Holmes, Paddy Logue. Subs:Christopher Doyle, Paul Dixon, Martin Harkin.

City Colts: Bryan Clyde, Cathal Lynch, Micky McDaid, Marcus Feeney, Eoghan Kearney, Paul Quigley, Peter Breslin, Micky Devlin, David O’Hara, Kevin McGowan, Darragh Duffy. Subs:Eoghan Moore, Liam Langan, Brendan Deane, Paul Ryan, Peter Mahon.

Referee: Mark McGarrigle.