Wallace over-come scare from plucky Friends to make final

Wallace High School are through to their 10th Burney Cup final, looking for only their third victory in the competition.
Mandatory Credit: ROWLAND WHITE / PRESSEYE
Hockey: Burney Cup Semi-Final
Teams: Wallace HS (blue/white) v Friends (green/red)
Venue: Lisnagarvey
Date: 12th March 2014
Caption: Jack Wilson of Wallace trying to force his way through the Friends defenceMandatory Credit: ROWLAND WHITE / PRESSEYE
Hockey: Burney Cup Semi-Final
Teams: Wallace HS (blue/white) v Friends (green/red)
Venue: Lisnagarvey
Date: 12th March 2014
Caption: Jack Wilson of Wallace trying to force his way through the Friends defence
Mandatory Credit: ROWLAND WHITE / PRESSEYE Hockey: Burney Cup Semi-Final Teams: Wallace HS (blue/white) v Friends (green/red) Venue: Lisnagarvey Date: 12th March 2014 Caption: Jack Wilson of Wallace trying to force his way through the Friends defence

The McCullough Cup champions were certainly made to work by a lively Friends side, who were twice in the lead until a late Wallace rally overpowered their local rivals to claim the victory.

Patrick Cochrane opened the scoring for Friends with a penalty stroke but just two minutes later, Daniel Nelson finished off a flowing Wallace move with a reverse stick finish.

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Ryan Donaldson restored Friends’ lead and, into the second half, it looked like they might hold on. Good chances at either end were spurned but, as Wallace turned up the heat, their opponents couldn’t hold out.

After twice being down to 10 men, Andrew O’Hare lifted the leveller over the friends stopper and from then on, it was one way traffic.

Just a minute later, Scott McCabe deflected in a Nelson reverse stick cross to give Wallace the lead. Ryan Getty fired in a rebound after Milliken saved from a Ross Kelly corner and Jack Wilson completed the scoring, deflecting in after another flowing move from the impressive Wallace side.

After their early scare, coach Errol Lutton knows his team must player better against Banbridge Academy in the final.

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“We didn’t play as well as we could (in the semi-final),” he said.

“Friends played very well in the first half and put us under a wee bit of pressure. We had to come in at half-time and change a few things, which we did. We’re delighted that the boys came out in the second half and gave the response they did.

“We played better in the second half but we know we can play better again. To create enough chances in the circle to score four goals, two or three of those very good goals, was very pleasing. We weren’t taking advantage of those chances in the first half.”

MOTM was defender Mark McNellis.