Scarva go down fighting as they exit cup

Armagh Celtic 3

Scarva Rangers 2

SCARVA Rangers bowed out of the Marshall Cup on Saturday but they went down fighting.

For long periods of the tie in Armagh, Division Two Scarva looked like causing an unlikely upset at the expense of their Division One hosts.

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The second half was 52 minutes old when Armagh Celtic hit the match winning goal and the final whistle sounded moments later.

Only 12 minutes of the clash had elapsed when Rangers took a shock lead. The alert Gary McCune swiftly latched on to an under hit Celtic back pass, skipped past the stranded keeper and coolly slotted the ball into the empty net.

From that moment to half-time it was virtually one-way traffic and it was heading in the direction of Paul Davidson’s goal.

The Rangers No 1 made a first class save when a goal bound lob seemed certain to drift over his head and into an unguarded Scarva net.

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But this was no one man show, with the defence of Mo Brown, Derek Patton, Jonny Sterrit, and Johnny Douglas magnificent in the face of the onslaught and their midfield and forward colleagues also battling to keep their side’s slim advantage intact.

Rangers were relieved to hear the half-time whistle but in the early stages of the second half it was the Armagh defence’s turn to work overtime.

Striker Hammond fired the ball dangerously across the face of the Celtic six yard box, inches away from the onrushing Wes Baird but left back Johnny Douglas, who produced a flawless defensive display, raced to keep the ball in play.

He slipped it to Paul McBride who crossed back into the danger zone where Hammond’s well struck shot zipped just wide of the post.

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At the other end Davidson made a fine save with his feet but Rangers had soon doubled their lead.

Mark Gracey found Hammond with a cross field pass and he knocked the ball to Mo Brown who sent a high looping pass back to the striker.

Hammond controlled it instantly, bamboozled his markers with some dazzling footwork and then unleashed an unstoppable long range strike into the roof of the net.

But the Division One side were determined to avoid being dumped out of the cup by lower league opposition and they scored two goals in the closing stages.

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Then, with the tie seemingly destined for extra time, Scarva’s Paul Davidson pulled off another fine save and the hosts reacted first to stab the ball over the line from close range.

This was a first class performance from Scarva, the work rate and the effort beyond reproach.

A minute’s silence was held before Saturday’s cup tie in memory of six-year-old Stuart Wilson from Rathfriland and everyone at Scarva Rangers would like to extend their deepest sympathy to his family and friends.