It’s just ‘gr-eight’ for Lisnagarvey

With the home side struggling at the bottom end of the table, Garvey were expected to take the points.

However, their early raids had been unrewarding; skipper Jonny Bell and Sean Murray and Andy Williamson all had chances before Timmy Cockram gave them the lead in the 13th minute.

Andy Williamson got in a good shot which veteran goalkeeper Kelly saved but Cockram followed up to slot home the rebound.

Garvey continued to dominate possession and had further chances fall to Daniiel Buser who shot past the post in the 18th minute and Kelly made a fine diving save from Cockram in the 19th minute.

It was the 23rd minute before Garvey increased their lead and again it was the ever alert Timmy Cockram who did the trick.

Daniel Buser set up Cockram who beat Kelly from close range.

Three minutes later he completed his hat trick. This time he supplied the initial shot himself and when Kelly had parried the ball back to him he made no mistake giving Garvey a more than deserved 3-0 lead against a team which had failed to produce any kind of threat on the Garvey defence.

A few more half chances fell to Garvey before the half time break and just prior to the interval Thomas McRoberts made his debut for the senior team.

The second half was little different from the first with Garvey totally dominating the play with some fine slick passing hockey on a pitch which was gradually becoming slippery with the oncoming frost.

Andy Williamson brought another save from Kelly in the 36th minute but in the 39th Timmy Cockram scored his fourth goal of the night sealing the points for his team.

Garvey’s first penalty corner was taken by James Lorimer and when the ball was slipped to Cockram, he beat the Harlequins keeper from 8 metres.

Andy Forrest got into the action in the 40th minute when he dribbled through the home defence before being stopped by the reliable Kelly.

Two more penalty corners were forced in the 42nd and 43rd minutes but both were repelled.

However after another fruitless set piece in the 45th minute, James Lorimer added Garvey’s 5th goal when his shot was half stopped by Kelly but still found the back of the Harlequins net in the 46th minute.

Timmy Cockram had another fine run in the 49th minute and his reverse stick cross was directed into the net by Peter MaDonnell from a few metres out from goal.

This goal took Garvey’s tally to six and it soon became seven when Andy Forrest’s shot was stopped on the line by defenders body and the same player slotted home the resulting penalty stroke.

Daniel Buser completed the Garvey scoring for the night with the 8th goal in the last minute of a totally one sided match.

The win takes Garvey into third position in the Premier League as they were the only team to play last week end.

All the other matches suffered from the heavy frost so Garvey leapfrog Cookstown into third while Banbridge, still unbeaten, and Instonians take up the top two positions coming up to the Christmas break.

Garvey now trail Instonians by three points with a game in hand but are crucially five points behind leaders Banbridge.