North-West Senior Cup: Penalty joy for Limavady United as Strabane Athletic hit five without reply
Limavady United and Strabane Athletic will contest this season’s North-West Senior Cup final as both teams progressed in contrasting circumstances.
Holders Coleraine fielded an average age of just over 16 as they made their way to the Limavady Showgrounds in the final-four showdown.
First-team boss Ruaidhri Higgins vowed that the contest would be a chance to look at the club’s young talent due to injuries sustained to his squad at The Showgrounds.
After surviving a few early scares, Coleraine took the lead on 20 minutes when midfielder Tiernan Brolly dispatched from the spot after he was initially brought down inside the area by Kieran Farren.
However, United levelled at the break as a corner-kick wasn’t dealt with by the Bannsiders and this allowed Mikhail Kennedy with an easy task of stroking home.
Limavady used that momentum into the start of the second-half as they forged ahead on 51 minutes. This time it was Ian Parkhill who was in the right place at the right time to rifle a deflected effort beyond Coleraine stopper Aaron Hoey-Kemp.
Coleraine kept pushing for an equaliser and it arrived in eye-catching circumstances as Brolly took centre-stage yet again on 66 minutes. A defensive clearance landed to the Magilligan native and he let fly with a fierce effort that sailed into the top corner.
Both teams had chances to win the tie before penalties as Brolly’s hopes of a hat-trick were thwarted by Gareth Muldoon, with Lewis Tosh seeing his shot being tipped onto the crossbar.
The penalties proved to be a marathon as the opening 22 spot-kicks were all successfully converted, including the two goalkeepers.
But it was Coleraine who blinked first to seal Limavady’s passage through as Alex Watson’s attempt from 12 yards was saved by Muldoon.
The other semi-final was held at the Brandywell as Championship side Institute made changes for the visit of Strabane Athletic.
The Premier Intermediate outfit found themselves two goals ahead at the break courtesy of strikes from Sean McCallion and Dan Doran.
The tie was put beyond doubt by the hour mark as Aaron O’Hagan made it 3-0, before a fourth arrived soon after via the boot of Garth Falconer.
A comprehensive 5-0 success was then put into the history books as Oisin Duffy scored from the spot.
A date and venue for the final is to be confirmed.