Kilroot win Border Cup tie, but Barn are pitched out

BANGOR RANGERS 0

PLAYING on the Barn ground where his father Charlie was once a master craftsman, Joel Lough was Kilroot Rec’s hat-trick hero as the 1c side progressed to the next round of the Border Regiment Cup, at the expense of 1b outfit Bangor Rangers.

Joel almost set the tone after only 10 minutes, demanding a notable save from the Bangor keeper, after latching on to a long punt from Dean Haggan.

Not to be outshone, Haggan - son of former Barn keeper Davy - sprang to the rescue just two minutes later to prevent Rangers snatching the lead.

Just two minutes after the changearound, Rec were in front, with Lough lashing a 20-yarder past the visitors’ keeper. His second on 66 minutes was even more spectacular; a vicious half-volley that fairly hurtled into the net.

Bangor just couldn’t keep Lough at bay and the striker completed his first Kilroot hat-trick just before the close, with substitute Rob Armstrong laying on the supply.

This Saturday, it’s a Steel and Sons Cup derby away to 1b side Rathfern Rangers at the Diamond.

Kilroot Rec: Haggan – Hammond, Anderson (Armstrong), Braiden – Gibb, J Thompson, Davies (K Johnstone), Bingham, P Thompson – Dummigan, Lough (Ogilvie).

RATHFERN RANGERS 4

BARN UNITED 2

Rathfern Rangers took the derby honours at the Diamond, with this Border Regiment Cup win over 1a neighbours Barn United.

Rangers’ player-boss David McCrea afterwards suggested, “We were well worth it. We really should have had the game over at 2-0 and it didn’t help us with two injuries causing a reshuffle. Even when Barn came back at us, we again missed chances – me included.”

Opposite number Jim Pherson pointed to an own goal as the turning point “coming just two minutes after we had brought it back to 2-2”.

Rathfern had looked the more lively before taking a deserved lead on nine minutes; Stephen Logan rising uncontested to head in Darren Cosby’s right wing corner.

Less than a minute later, Rangers were celebrating again with Colin Andrews just managing to bundle the ball into the bottom right-hand corner after keeper Gary McClune had done well to claw away Harris’s close-range effort.

Not before time, Barn were coming more into the picture and Anderson made no mistake on 38 minutes, turning nicely to dispatch John Mathers’ right-wing cross into the bottom right corner.

On 63 minutes, Barn were back on terms; Dee Wakeham flicking on a Chris Harris cross for Christopher Shimmon to direct into the right corner.

Two minutes later, however, Andrews was left with just McClune to beat, and while the keeper pulled off a fine double save, the loose ball careered back off the unfortunate Marc Kelly.

Rathfern stitched it all up three minutes from time, thanks to a classy first-time finish from Andrews, from McCrea’s perfectly weighted pass.

On Saturday, there are more cup derbies, this time in the Steel and Sons, with Rathfern entertaining Kilroot Rec, while Barn host Larne Tech Old Boys.

Rathfern Rangers: Langley – Montgomery (McCrea), Logan, G Lovell, Beggs – G Harris (Benson), N Lovell, W McMurdie, Cosby (Solomon) – Andrews, D Moore.

Barn United: McClune – Kelly, McAllister, P Mathers, Lammey (Griffith) – C Harris, Wakeham (Wright), Anderson, Monteith (D Harris) – Shimmon, J Mathers.