Utd dedicate win to Wallace family

NEWBUILDINGS United caused the biggest shock of the Coca/Cola Intermediate Cup third round, on Saturday when they deservedly defeated Championship high-flyers Warrenpoint Town 3-0.

Barry Gray’s men gave up home advantage to make sure the tie took place on Saturday and that was a massive mistake, as the County Down side left Newbuildings knowing, just like Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, that their cup dream had in fact turned out to be a nightmare.

With some things more important than football this became a harsh reality just 15 minutes before kick-off when the team received the terrible and sad news of the passing Noel Wallace.

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With so many of his family involved in the club and indeed with his to nephews Christopher and Stephen in the match squad it was a real moving moment.

The family insisted the game go ahead and asked for the team to give their all in order to get through the tie. The team was detemined to do the family proud, they gathered their emotions and regrouped.

Both teams and supporters paid their respects with a minutes silence which was a real moving moment for all that attended the game.

Newbuildings manager Gary Simpson was thrilled that his side manage to cause the cup shock.

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“It was a terrific performance for such a young side and I was delighted for the players, supporters, but more importantly dedicated the victory to the Wallace family after their loss before the game.

“For the players to receive such sad news during the warm-up before the game and to go out and react the way they did, filled me with a real sense of pride.

“We will look forward to the next round but its back to the bread and butter off the league on Saturday and we will be taking one game at a time.”

Newbuilings won the toss and decieded to play with strong breeze in order to try and put early pressure on the Championship side and despite the early stages being played mostly in the middle third and with Ferguson and Wallace in the middle of the park winning their tackles and giving the visitors no space to play in, the tie remained score-less at the break.

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Clarke made his debut coming off the bench for the home side and this proved to be a master stroke by Simpson.

Winger Stephen Curry collected the ball wide on the right skipped past the full back, cut the ball back to Clarke who riffled the ball with his right foot just inside the near post giving Parr in the Warrenpoint goal no chance.

The underdogs continued to press and only for a stunning save from Parr to deny Nathan Robinson, but he was not to denied his goal, when he made no mistake on 60 minutes after Clarke had created the chance.

On 85 minutes United ended the tie as a contest when that man Clarke again broke the offside trap only to be hauled down inside the area, its wasn’t a surprise when the referee blew the whistle and pointed to the spot.

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Wallace grabbed the ball and placed it on the spot and despite Parr diving low to his right to keep the spot kick out the midfielder Wallace made no mistake with the rebound. However the referee blew his whistle against and ordered a retake due to players intrudung into the box before the ball was struck.

Wallace stepped up again, went the same way, this the ball found the net via the inside of the post giving the keeper no chance.

Newbuildings return to league action on Saturday with a difficult trip to fellow title chanllengers Oxford United Stars who collected all three points against Mountjoy to keep the pressure on Strabane who sit in second place and Newbuildings who top the pile.