Redcastle Utd lift Ulster Junior Shield title with victory over Strand Rovers

Redcastle United are the new Ulster Junior Shield champions after they seen off the challenge of Strand Rovers 3-1. 

Redcastle United 3 Strand Rovers 1

In a hugely entertaining first-half, there were numerous goalmouth incidents at both ends of  Maginn Park.

Rovers began well with Jordan Saville latching onto a ball over the top and unleashing an angled effort which Michael McCole gathered low to his right.

Ryan Brennan then glanced a header from an Odhran Gallagher free wide of the left hand post. Redcastle replied and when Stephen Grant fed Darragh McConway he advanced to the edge of the area but shot over the bar.

Rovers broke the deadlock in the 12th minute when a long kickout was flicked onto Daniel Ward who spread the ball to Matthew O’Donnell on the right hand side of the area.

O'Donnell’s effort was parried by McCole but Cian McGee was perfectly placed to slot the loose ball home. Redcastle had a good spell after this with Shaun Curran’s freekick tipped onto the bar and over by Cormac Hanlon before an Eoghan McLaughlin strike and McConway’s header both just cleared the crossbar.

Strand Rovers replied to this with Ward shooting well over before Gallagher’s freekick from the right sneaked just past McCole s left hand post. 

The game turned in Cathal Faulkner’s side’s favour in a six-minute spell from the half hour mark.

First, they equalised when Ronan Hoy nicked the ball off the toe of a defender and unleashed a brilliant shot to the roof of the net from 16 yards.

Six minutes later they took the lead when a McCole kickout was headed by McConway onto Hoy inside the area and he controlled before slamming low past Hanlon from ten yards.

Redcastle were rampant at this stage and Jack McConalogue headed Hoy’s cross inches wide before Hoy himself had a header from a Lee Barr free flash across goal and narrowly past the post. 

For all that, Strand Rovers almost equalised on the stroke of half-time after a long throw-in broke to Saville, whose powerful low effort was blocked by the legs of McCole.

There was less action in the second-half but the first opportunity fell to Rovers after a misplaced defensive pass saw Ryan Brennan pounce but his effort was deflected wide by a last ditch Lee Barr block.

Midway through the half Brennan flicked on another long throw for Saville who controlled, turned and volleyed just wide. Minutes later they had another chance after Ward’s mazy run ended when he flicked the ball into Brennan whose overhead kick from eight yards landed on the roof of the net.

Redcastle s greatest escape came on 70 minutes after James McCole’s freekick from halfway came off the bar and two powerful efforts were blocked and deflected in quick succession.

Redcastle regained a measure of control in the final ten minutes with substitute Gavin Grant crossing for fellow substitute Alan Clarke who controlled well but his effort lacked power.

On the stroke of full-time Clarke blocked a clearance and ran from half way along the left past a defender and along the end line and somehow saw his tame shot elude Hanlon and creep over the line to seal victory. 

Deep in injury time a long range free from Gallagher was tipped over by McCole and that was the final action of an entertaining game.