IFA Junior Cup Round One
Newtownbreda 3 Maguiresbridge 2
NEWTOWNBREDA came from 2-0 behind to knock Maguiresbridge out of the Irish Junior Cup at a blustery Cairnshill on Saturday.
The Fermanagh and Western side got off to the perfect start in south Belfast, racing into a 2-0 lead by the 15th minute.
From there to the finish, Newtownbreda were the better team and there was no complaints from ‘Bridge boss Cahir May afterwards.
“The result was probably fair enough on the day. We were not at our best to be honest,” he said.
“But the league and promotion is the only target for us. It’s maybe a bit of a wake up call for us ahead of a few tough league games ahead.”
The game was only five minutes old when a Philly McTeggart cross caused chaos and the Newtownbreda goalkeeper was penalised for clattering Ronan McManus in the penalty area.
Conor Durnien stepped up to bury the penalty kick.
It was frantic stuff at that stage with Newtownbreda piling forward at every opportunity but they were caught on the break for a second goal 12 minutes in.
McTeggart and Adam Chartres combined to release Winston Moran and he went around the goalkeeper to convert, with defender Jonathan Luke helping the ball over the line as he raced back.
It could have been 3-0 by the 20th minute as another ball was whipped across goal but Durnien’s effort flashed over.
Newtownbreda came on strong before half-time however and the goal they deserved arrived in the 27th minute.
Joshua Vess showed good composure to step outside his man in the right side of the area and hammer the ball into the far side of the net.
Ryan Ferguson almost equalised but for a last-ditch McManus block and the ‘Bridge cleared the ball away from near the goal line twice as the pressure continued to build.
The second half started as the first had ended, with the hosts well on top. Ferguson was denied by Dara Foster in the Bridge goal.
The equaliser came in the 55th minute when Ryley Gray raced in from the right flank and beat Foster with a low shot inside his near post.
Minutes later, with the Bridge on the ropes, Ferguson somehow fluffed his lines and failed to convert from two yards out as the ball spun back across goal.
Maguiresbridge came back into the game for a spell and were gifted a great chance to go back in front when a defender let a ball slip through allowing Chartres to run in on goal.
However, the keeper got a hand to the ball as Chartres went to go around him and he gathered the loose ball.
Two minutes later, Newtownbreda went in front for the first time as they broke on the counter following a loose pass and the ball was slipped to Ferguson who produced a super finish into the far corner from just inside the box.
Maguiresbridge huffed and puffed in the final stages without ever really threatening the home goal and time ran out on the Junior Cup hopes.