PSNI collected the first trophy of a possible treble winning 2013, when they defeated Parkview 5-0, to lift the Sussex Regiment Cup at Deramore Park on New Year’s Day.
“It has been a long time coming but we got there in the end,” said PSNI captain, Craig McDowell.
“I think our experience showed in the end, as it certainly was not our fitness and youth. This has given us a fantastic start to 2013 and now we can push for the Irish Cup and promotion.
“We also have the World Police and Fire Games here in August, so it promises to be a very busy year all-round.
“Parkview are a good, strong, physical side, but I think our guys produced it in the end and we thoroughly deserved our win.”
Only one goal separated the two teams at half time, with Ian Johnston cracking home the opener in the 18th minute for PSNI.
Parkview must have thought that they were still in the hunt but those thoughts diminished three minutes into the second half, when Aaron Gill doubled the PSNI lead.
And two minutes later, Chris O’Flaherty hammered home a penalty corner to make it 3-0.
Parkview were rattled and they had hardly time to catch a breath as Johnny Orr made it 4-0, ending a devastating six minute spell which turned the game on its head in the PSNI favour.
And just to rub salt into the wound, Gill killed off any Parkview hopes of ever coming back into the game, cracking in his second goal to make it 5-0 and give his side the first, of what could be three trophies in the trophy cabinet at their Newforge base.
Speaking after the game, Parkview captain Ross Monro said, “We were taken by surprise as to just how good they actually were, compared to the last time we played them in the league.
“But, by the time that we got to grips as to how they were playing, it was too late to do anything about it.
“Gill is outstanding for them up front and we just lacked the experience to deal with him.
“Apart from that, I could not have asked for more from the players but on the day PSNI were the better team.”
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