Burney Cup - Secound Round Report
posted 17 Feb 2010

Cookstown High School 3-3 Friends School Lisburn

The boys met Friends in the second round and battled back well to force a replay. The boys came back from 3-1 down with ten minutes left to secure a draw. All three goals were drag flicks from Sloan.

The Replay:  Cookstown High School 5-3 Friends School Lisburn

After playing each other just a week earlier Cookstown welcomed Friends to Coolnafranky for the Burney Cup second round. The boys started very well with the forwards defending well from the front. Stewart was on hand in the Cookstown goals to make a couple of great saves early on but it was Cookstown who got the opener when Sloan picked out the bottom corner with a drag flick. This lifted the team and Montgomery was unlucky not to score a wonder goal when his diving deflection shaved the bar. Montgomery then produced a piece of magic to deflect Millar’s cross from behind his back into the goal to make it 2-0.

Friends got a goal back, however, when the Friends forward tapped in at the back post. Friends then piled on the pressure but Atkinson and Rollins were magnificent at the heart of the Cookstown defence. Sloan seemed to have put the game beyond doubt for Cookstown when he fired in another drag flick but Friends fought back well. Firstly, they scored from a short corner hit before grabbing an equaliser in the dying minutes. Rollins superbly cleared off the line in the last minute to force it to extra time.

In extra time the boys played heroically with everyone working extremely hard. Sloan put Cookstown ahead once more, this time from the stroke spot before Friends drew a great save from Stewart. Johnston and Millar were playing very well in midfield winning their own individual battles convincingly. This gave Cookstown the base to look for another goal to put the game beyond doubt. They got this goal when Sloan got his fourth of the game with his third drag flick low into the corner.

The joy on the faces of the players was clear at the final whistle and even Mr. Haycock seemed quite emotional. The boys would like to thank Mr. Cuddy for umpiring and Mr. Haycock for coaching.

Team: Stewart, Crooks, Rollins, Atkinson, McWhirter, Johnston, Sloan (captain), Millar, Montgomery, Hutchinson, Crawford, Watt, R.Johnston.