By Harvey Latimer
Co Antrim 2
Middlesbrough 0
County Antrim rounded off their group fixtures and secured second place in their group with an impressive win against English side Middlesbrough at the Coleraine Showgrounds.
Antrim were the more prominent team in the early stages and created a number of chances to open the scoring. Captain Alex Watson’s eloquent ball into the box was missed by striker Gary Dickson allowing goalkeeper Joseph Richardson to gather. Coran Madden was troubling the Boro’ backline from the get-go as he sent a right foot curler over the crossbar before turning provider for the Antrim opener. The winger received the ball from Cohen Beattie, drove into the Middlesbrough half and played a precise ball straight into the path of the on-running Watson, who took it in his stride and tucked it away into the bottom left corner of the net.
It was the lively Madden who tested the palms of Richardson midway through half, cutting inside onto his right foot once again but the ‘keeper was equal to it. The Antrim goal was relatively untroubled in the first half apart from a snapshot from Bailey Palmer after he weaved his way past a couple of Antrim bodies. Defenders Oisin Gamble and Jayden Charnley were on hand to meet Palmer and teammate Cruz Ibeh on every occasion, exemplifying Antrim’s pre-match instruction to give the Boro’ men as little time as possible on the ball.
Little action in a stop-start beginning to the second half until fifteen minutes deep when a pivotal moment in the game presented itself. Bailey Palmer sent Cruz Ibeh through on goal with a neat through ball. Ibeh went round Antrim goalkeeper Zak Robinson who brought the striker, causing the referee to award the English side a spot kick. Ibeh took responsibility for the penalty but failed to convert. Robinson redeemed himself with a crucial penalty save sparking a huge roar from the Jack Doherty Grandstand and spurring the County side on.
Madden proved a danger again and his cross. which was intended for substitute Owen Mahoney, looped off the top of the crossbar. Minutes later, Mahoney had a great chance of his own. The Antrim substitute was picked out by Kallum Thompson but blazed his effort from inside the box.
But just like his teammate Robinson, Mahoney had his own form of redemption. Slipped in between the Middlesbrough defence, Mahoney collected the ball, dummied with his right and fired across goal with his left, leaving Richardson rooted to the spot and sealing the three points for Antrim. Any Middlesbrough fightback was shut down by a resolute Antrim team who enjoyed a fairly comfortable final few minutes seeing out a commanding win.
The result means that County Antrim will play fellow county Londonderry in the SuperCupNI Globe section, while Middlesbrough will face County Tyrone in the Bowl section.