Newlane FC were knocked out of the Bedlow Cup after defeat to Larkview FC
Mixed results for teams in UCFL Challenge Cup
FOR THE second time in as many weeks Fatima Rangers suffered agonising defeats after coming from behind in Cup competitions, reports John Mooney.
Last Friday night it was Blackforge FC who put paid to their ambitions of advancing any further in the UCFL Challenge Cup, when an 87th minute strike from Thomas Maguire finally killed off their comeback from a two goal deficit.
Christopher Clarke and Klevis Malaj had given the Forge a 2-0 lead by the 30th minute, but Rangers fought back with Dylan O’Neill on 34 minutes and Adam Roche in the 73rd to bring the sides level. At that point it looked like extra time was on the cards, until Maguire struck.
HOLDERS ROC Celtic are also through to the quarter final of the Challenge Cup after a 2-0 win over Ballyowen Celtic in Sacred Heart last Saturday.
Darren King and Gerard Shortt ensured they went through, with goals in the 59th and 75th minutes. However, ROC’s second were not as lucky as they went down 2-0 to Ronanstown FC, whose goals were scored by Carl Grant and Jake Purcell.
Klevis Malaj was on the scoresheet for Blackforge FC
A CRACKING Sidney Bedlow Cup was called to a halt in the 86th minute after Firhouse United keeper Jack Mulherne suffered a neck injury.
With the medic, rightfully, not moving Jack off the pitch incase of further injury the referee took the decision to end the game.
At that point it was 3-3 with Derek Doyle, John Luby and Kyle Grant scoring for Ronanstown 2nds and Kevin Downes, Jack Ryan and Mark Grant netting for Firhouse.
However, player safety was more important than the result and both sides were happy to abide with the referees decision and replay the game another day.
Darren King helped ROC Celtic through to the quarter final of the Challenge Cup
NEWLANE FC bowed out of the Bedlow Cup when they travelled to Larkview FC and went down on a 7-2 scoreline.
It had started so well for Newlane as they hit the front inside four minutes through Zack Jones, but Robert Moloney missed a penalty just eight minutes later and from that point it began to fall apart. Craig Watt got the Lanes second in the 80th minute.
HOME advantage proved no good for AFC Belgrave as they departed the Bedlow Cup when losing 5-2 to Harding FC.
The lads had come from a goal down to take the lead with two from Lorcan Hill, but they could not stem the tide that followed and Harding had an easy enough passage into the last eight.
