Limavady ease into Craig cup final

Limavady United (2) 2

Patrick (17mins), McKenna (40mins)

Moyola Park (0) 0

United made two changes from the side so easily beaten by Bangor the week before. Ciaran Clarke and Peter Spratt were replaced by Francis McKenna and Conleth McCaughan.

Roesiders manager Oran Kearney also switched Paul Owens to the right side of midfield rather than his usual left wing berth.

In front of another disappointing crowd, both sides served up an entertaining contest, although Michael Doherty in the home goal was never forced into making a difficult save.

The changes initially took some time to work, as the visitors' Mervyn Pattison threatened to carve open the home defence twice in the first ten minutes.

United forced to depend on Roddy to hack the ball away the first time, and then the winger burst through but was foiled by Doherty.

McKenna was enjoying his best performance for United and he had an excellent half volley after six minutes that was parried by Andrew Dickey.

In the sixteenth minute United should have gone ahead when Patrick had a close range header from a corner on the left but sent it straight at the keeper.

The Limavady captain did not have long to wait, as in the next minute as he got on the end of a hanging cross from Owens to give his team a deserved lead.

United pushed on, and with 24 minutes gone Trevor Hutchinson back heeled the ball in the box to the onrushing Owens, splitting the defence, but the winger sent his shot wide of the left hand post.

With 34 minutes gone there was an almost identical move involving the same combination, but sadly Owens' effort was even further off target.

On 40 minutes however, the second goal came. Again there was an element of repetition, as Owens again put in a teasing cross from the right, but this time he found the head of McKenna who was completely unmarked and even though he was the smallest player on the pitch had no difficulty in heading confidently into the net.

The second half saw much improved effort from Moyola Park, but with very little in the way of real impact in the game.

Their Israeli midfielder Emmanuel Okai Kwai was withdrawn at half time, to be replaced by the rather less exotic Colin Overend, but to no noticeable effect.

It was ten minutes in before United put together a decent move and that was a swift exchange of passes between Niall Cooke and Hutchinson to set up Patrick, but the captain shot over.

Two minutes later Chris Shimmen burst through the heart of the home defence, but shot over when he ought to have done better.

The hardworking Hutchinson was unfortunate with a fierce effort from wide left that flashed across the face of goal, and then Lee Patrick had a shot that Dickey spilled but the incoming attackers were flagged offside.

Chris Rodden was next to try his luck when he dashed into the box to get on the end of a cross field ball, but although he had time to pick his shot the ball was screwed wide of the post.

On 72 minutes Michael Walsh's cross was met perfectly on the volley by Patrick, but somehow Dickey clawed the ball to safety.

As the game entered the last ten minutes United were still on the attack, with Ciaran Clarke becoming more involved and running at the Moyola defence, sending a shot across the face of goal.

In the 84th minute Rodden was the victim of a heavy tackle from behind, and was forced off, to be replaced by Lee Harkin, making a welcome return to the first team after eighteen months out with a knee injury. He was immediately in the action, and even fired in a long range effort which went over the bar.

United nearly rued the catalogue of missed chances with three minutes to go, when Overend had the ball in the net for the visitors, but referee Tony Young correctly disallowed the goal for offside.

Limavady United: Doherty, Walsh, Rodden, Roddy, McNulty, Patrick, Owens, McKenna, Cooke, Hutchinson, McCaughan.

Subs: McKeever & Clarke for McCaughan & Owens (61mins), Harkin for Rodden (84mins), McConaghie, Jennings.

Moyola Park: Dickey, Ferguson, Stewart, McQuillan, Cardwell, Gilliland, Pattison, Laughins, Shimmen, Wallace, Okai Kwai.

Subs: Morrow for Okai Kwai (46mins), Overend for Pattison (73mins), Madden (Unused).

Referee: Tony Young (Coleraine).