Limavady United win NW Senior Cup Final

Limavady United 0-0 Institute (Limavady won won 3-1 on penalties)
Limavady United boss Sean Friars watched his side win the Eventsec NW Senior Cup Final.Limavady United boss Sean Friars watched his side win the Eventsec NW Senior Cup Final.
Limavady United boss Sean Friars watched his side win the Eventsec NW Senior Cup Final.

GOALKEEPER Connor Brown was Limavady United's penalty hero in their shoot-out win over Institute, in the Eventsec North West Senior Cup Final.

In a disappointing final at a rain soaked Limavady Showgrounds, Stute's Dean Curry, Joe McCready and Gareth Brown all missed from 12 yards, but Roesiders keeper Brown blasted home the winning spot-kick in the shoot-out.

An uneventful 120 minutes saw the strong ‘Stute outfit fail to trouble the Championship strugglers, with the game finishing scoreless to bring about spot kicks.

The home side came out on the right end of those penalties thanks to their number one, while Institute boss Kevin Doherty bemoaned the lack of desire from his squad.

In the first action of note, ‘Stute drew a diving save out of Brown on 41 minutes when he denied Joe McCready, while the visitors came within inches of the lead on 65 minutes when Jake Morrow’s long-range strike was deflected off the head of Emmet Friars and onto the crossbar, with Brown beaten.

‘Stute were almost the masters of their own downfall on 79 minutes when Ray Kelly came racing out of his goal to pick up a long ball, but sent it straight to Gary McFadden who couldn’t find the net from 50 metres out as the Blues goalkeeper struggled to get back in position.

As the game entered added time, Ryan Doherty then stung the palms of Kelly before ‘Stute were infuriated not to be awarded a penalty when McCready went down under the challenge of O’Kane, with the front man yellow carded for his protests as it finished scoreless after 90 minutes.

Brown denied McIntyre with a brilliant stop in the first period of extra-time, while Ryan Doherty curled a free just wide in the final minute.

Misses from Dean Curry, Joe McCready and Gareth Brown in the penalty shoot-out handed Limavady goalkeeper Brown the chance to win it - and he did just that with a powerful drive to the left corner, sending Kelly the wrong way.

United manager Sean Friars will be hoping this cup final victory, will breath new life into his side, as they aim to get off the bottom of the Bluefin Sport Championship table, as the season enters the business end of the campaign.

Limavady United: Brown, O’Kane, Carlin, McCauley, Gary McFadden (Reid 112), Duffy (Whiteside 76), Devine, Doherty, Pomeroy (McCreadie 100), Gareth McFadden, Friars.

Institute: Kelly, D Curry, Power (Dunne 55), Moorehead (S Curry 76), J Morrow, Jarvis, Brown, McIntyre, McCready, McBride (R Morrow 105), Leppard.

Referee: Gareth Stewart (Castledawson).