'Hard to take' as dominant Institute exit the Irish Cup

Irish Cup Sixth Round

Institute 0

Ballyclare Comrades 1

Institute’s hopes of making the Irish Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2009 were ended by Ballyclare, but the home side were left kicking themselves after missing a number of big chances to do just that.

Brian Donaghey’s team paid the ultimate price for not putting the ball in the net at a key time in the game, with Ballyclare lucky not to be a few goals down at half time. But with the scores still level at the break, Ballyclare heeded the warning and scored early in the second half through a Dylan King own goal, and that’s all that was needed to take them through to the last eight of the famous competition.

Donaghey was left completely disheartened after watching his team dominate for long periods.

“We did the same at Dixon Park when we played them in the league,” he reflected. “We should have been three or four up at half time and I think if we had been one or two up at half time today, nobody could have complained. Missed chances are the story of the game.

“I actually warned them at half time that we have been in this position against Ballyclare before and ended up with egg on our face in a game that we totally, totally dominated. I told them they would be sick if they came back in at 5 o’clock out of the cup. I tried to put a bit of fear in them and shake them up, but we didn’t start the second half as well as we did the first half, and that’s the disappointing thing.”

Rarity

Wins have been a rarity for both sides of late, but there is no doubt that ‘Stute have played their best football at the Brandywell this term, and they started the game very well.

It took the home side just three minutes to threaten but the lively Jack McFeely saw his 20-yard effort flash just wide of Declan Breen’s goal.

Breen was then  just a spectator as ‘Stute captain Cormac Burke sent a fierce effort just wide of the target from 25 yards.

Th opening goal should have arrived soon afterwards, but ’Stute missed a glorious chance to break the deadlock when Breen spilled Calvin McCallion’s shot, but with the goal at his mercy, striker Sean McCarron’s follow up shot from six yards, was sent straight at the Comrades keeper.

That was a real let off for Ballyclare, but there was little they could do to stem the ‘Stute attack and it just seemed a matter of time before the home side would get their goal.

Just after the half-hour mark Burke released McFeely down the right, but the young striker hesitated at the crucial moment, allowing Breen to come rushing off his line to block the shot.

Half time arrived with the game still somehow deadlocked, but it came at the wrong time for ‘Stute, who failed to find their rhythm when play resumed.

Comrades, second best for so long in the game, then took the lead against the run of play on 58 minutes when Cillin Gilmour’s left wing free-kick picked out Conall McGrandless, and his header went off King and into the net at the near post.

Still, ‘Stute should have levelled within minutes when McCarron twisted and turned in the box before dragging his shot wide of the target.

After the hour mark the home side missed another clear-cut chance; this time substitute Jamie Dunne created the chance, picking out McCallion, but the striker’s close range header failed to trouble Breen.

At the other end, Ballyclare could have ended the tie on 70 minutes, but they were denied a second goal when Dylan Doherty made a brilliant save, somehow tipping over Calvin McCurry’s clever curling effort.

‘Stute were left frustrated in the latter stages as they could not create one final chance to take the game to extra time, with the winning formula, which has eluded them since November, still out of reach.

Forthcoming games

‘Stute are back in action on Monday night when they face neighbours Derry City in the annual Billy Kee Memorial Cup, before they head to neighbours Loughgall next Saturday. There is still plenty of football ahead and the manager has no doubt the wins will come.

“We definitely look a better unit; we look more dangerous than we were three, four, five weeks ago and we’ll win more games than we’ll lose, especially if we keep playing the way we did in the first half,” he continued.

“We had enough chances to win the game and you rue those misses, but we just need a bit of luck at the minute. We have to gather ourselves for Loughgall next week now and we can’t be too hard on ourselves. We still have 14 or 15 matches left. We are on the brink of the top six, but we are also just a few points off the relegation play-off position. This league is unforgiving. Have we got what we deserved today? I don’t think so. All credit to Ballyclare, they are in the next round. If you are outplayed and the other team has scored goals and they are far better than you then you can take that, but this was a hard one.”

Teams

Institute: Dylan Doherty, Rhys McDermott, Shaun Leppard, Dylan King, Ronan McAleer; Orrin McLaughlin (Shaun Doherty 74), Cormac Burke, Andrew Whiteside (Jamie Dunne 65); Jack McFeely, Sean McCarron (Jamie McCormick 74), Calvin McCallion.

Ballyclare Comrades: Declan Breen, Owen McConville, Conall McGrandless, Liam Hassin, Calvin McCurry, Cillin Gilmour, Ian Fletcher, Bobby Higgins, Gary Donnelly (Harry Adair 87), Alan McMurtry, Cathal Farren (Darius Roohi 87).

Referee: Christopher Morrison.