Tandragee Rovers……………………2
Dungannon Swifts Reserves…….5
Bob Radcliffe Cup Round 2
TANDRAGEE Rovers exited the Bob Radcliffe Cup on Saturday after a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Dungannon Swifts Reserves. The game was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests with Tandragee playing well in periods but they lacked a cutting edge up front and conceded soft goals against a good Dungannon side.
Tandragee started the game in the ascendency and took the lead in the opening minutes. A surging run by Jamie Rooney from left back opened up the midfield, he found Gerdy Magee in space who turned and played in Cecil Corbett who need just one touch to control the ball before finding the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the box.
Tandragee were full of confidence and they were playing some really good football as they had the visitors on the back foot. Dungannon gradually began to stamp their authority on the game and they equalised after Tandragee failed to clear a corner. The ball fell to the feet of their big striker who calmly slotted the ball home. It wasn’t long before the Swifts took the lead when their right winger nipped in to beat Daniel Rooney to a through ball.
Cecil Corbett had a chance to get Tandragee back into the game but he dragged his shot wide after being played in by Paul Greenaway. Dungannon got a third before the break direct from a free kick on the edge of the box. Tandragee brought AJ Gallagher on after 50 minutes and his pace and trickery lifted the Rovers.
It wasn’t too long before he got Tandragee back into the game. He picked the ball up on the halfway line on the left wing, he cut inside before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the top left hand corner of the net. Tandragee were starting to dominate the game but they were dealt a blow when Dungannon scored a fourth goal after another error, this time from a free kick on the edge of the box.
Rovers continued to battle away but they found the Swifts keeper in commanding form. With Tandragee pushing men forward Dungannon scored a fifth at the end of the game when one of their subs reacted quickest to shot rebounding off the post to fire home.
A disappointing scoreline but Tandragee played well for long periods of the game, especially in the second half but they will need to cut out the sloppy mistakes which led to some of the goals.
Team: Daniel Rowney, Gary Whiteside, Jamie Rooney, Colin Bingham, Scott Walker, Chris Jeffers, Gerdy Magee, Jamie Uprichard, Mark Bicker, Paul Greenaway, Cecil Corbett. Subs: AJ Gallagher, Conall Fox, Gary Magee Tandragee Rovers Reserves lost 4-0 away to Annalong Swifts in the Junior Cup.
