School secures final place with extra time win

Banbridge Academy 5

Cookstown 4

THE senior boys’ First XI hockey team, sponsored by The Belmont Hotel, faced Cookstown in the Burney Cup semi-final at Garvey on Wednesday.

The game began at the later time of 3.15pm to accommodate the request from Cookstown High as they had the longer travel, and it was the Tyrone outfit that made the more positive start, forcing two early set pieces.

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Academy keeper Andrew Mooney dealt well with the sets with the threat from Dowds being snuffed out by Millar in particular playing well.

The running, fast-flowing hockey associated with the Academy was simply not evident and a sense of nerves began to descend on the players, Dowds doing his best to break the deadlock by striking the post in the 28th minute.

Stern words at half time from Dawson backed up by Jess meant a very quick reality check for the team and the second half started brightly with less check back hockey and more attacking runs from McShane, Moffett and Magee in particular with skipper Dowds linking in well.

Indeed a superb run along the baseline set up Niall Kelly for a shot before his parried effort was smartly followed up by the in form Moffett to tuck away with a fine slap to give the Academy a 1-0 lead.

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Rather than push on and continue that style of offensive play the Academy seemed content at keeping possession and were duly punished after a unforced error allowed a simple slap hit from far out on the Cookstown left to be deflected in passed the hapless defence. Again this seemed to act as a spark to the Academy midfield and forward units and a desperate challenge on the goal bound Moffett allowed Dowds to drag home to one again put the Academy ahead at 2-1.

With solid defending from Macauley and Doyle and the work rate of McShane the Academy found the route to circle more straightforward and Moffett’s run to goal lead in yet another poor Cookstown challenge from the keeper, the umpire awarding a stroke but issuing no card. The stroke was expertly tucked away by Dowds to give a healthy lead of 3-1 with 18 minutes remaining.

The re-introduction of Cosgrove and Knox gave rest bite for the forwards and added energy and they did well to stutter the Cookstown platform.

The rest of the half saw bizarre hockey from an intelligent side to say the least. Some basics deserted the Academy and a steal from Ciaran Kelly on his own 25 allowed a fine through ball to be given to Ian Sloan who smashed home a lifeline from wide on the reverse, the score now alive at 3-2.

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The problems continued with the Academy conceding a harsh short corner. This was ripped home again by Sloan to level the game from the ashes at 3-3.

The situation intensified and with only six minutes remaining, another naive piece of defending out wide on the Cookstown left meant a clear short corner to the Tyrone boys. This was to be another fine drag from Sloan and Mooney did well to block on the stick side; unfortunately it landed to the second phase and was stuck away with some aplomb to allow Cookstown to reel away in great delight.

With less than three minutes remaining it looked like a cup shocker for the Lurgan Road school, but once again as has been the case all season, the work rate lifted immediately and the shackles fell off. The penetrating runs from Magee, Dowds and Kelly remerged and yet again they won a set piece inside the dying seconds. It was to be another get-out-of-jail card to be played by Stephen Dowds, and his superb drag rattled home to put the game into extra time.

Further direction form Dawson and Jess meant hopefully more clarity in the play and within three minutes of the restart, a timely run from Magee set up by Philip Doyle allowed Dowds to slap to Moffett who deflected home at the back post.

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The play from the Academy rear guard of Bell, Brown and Macauley was more direct and again McShane gave the Cookstown defence a clean pair of heels to feed Moffet, his rolled pass finding the solo arrival of skipper Dowds who slammed home from top circle under the wrong-footed Killymoon keeper.

The game simply fizzled out with Cookstown threats being dealt with more efficiently; setting up what will be a great final.

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