League Play-Off

Earlstown Stadium
Spectators: 37 (Terracing: 29, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) In the 3rd minute, Quirk Matthews hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Beineon Duggan didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Harley McPaul went, in the 8th minute, to the upper right corner, 0-1 was the resulting score. A collision led to Strand getting a freekick after 12 minutes play. Tiarnan Taylor hit a great ball. Brenna McWillie received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 13th minute. Boyne McSteven tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. In the 22nd minute, Teddy McPeter hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Beineon Duggan showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Harley McPaul in the 23rd minute of the match. If Dane Deery had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 43rd minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. When Harley McPaul, who was free, got the in front of the goal in the 43 minute he wasn't focused and tipped the ball just over the goal. The Beineon Duggan was delighted since the ball would have got in if it had gone under the crossbar. Strand's Harley McPaul got a good chance for a goal in the 45th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. After fighting hard for a draw in the first half, the players were able to take a much needed rest.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Harley McPaul to make the kick off. After a rather tough play, Earlstown's Beag McOliver got a free kick in the 51st minute. After some fancy dribbling in the 53rd minute, Brenna McWillie managed to get in a good position for a shot. Earlstown's supporters rose to their feet, but Brenna McWillie was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Boyne McSteven breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. Boyne McSteven stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Antaine Branson's shot from short distance in the 55th minute. Britt Walker took a chance and fired a shot far from the goal in the 60th minute, but it turned out to be a dangerous situation for Boyne McSteven. Strand's goalkeeper really had to stretch himself to stop the ball from crossing the goal line. Antaine Branson took the ball and in the 65 minute, shot a rapid shot to the right of a surprised Boyne McSteven. Boyne McSteven dived to the right, and did manage to get a hand on the shot, but it still went into the right corner making it 2-1. After a rather tough play, Earlstown's Beag McOliver got a free kick in the 67th minute. After 70 minutes, Harley McPaul mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Strand and the Earlstown players grew even worse after the yellow card. A collision led to Strand getting a freekick after 70 minutes play. Harley McPaul hit a great ball. After 75 minutes of play, Earlstown's Antaine Branson made it 3-1 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Boyne McSteven was left in no man's land by his defense there! Beineon Duggan was a little too slow when Harley McPaul got a fine hit on the ball which went right into the goal in the 84th minute. The score was now 3-2. An unexpectedly hard shot by Harley McPaul in the 88th minute of play forced Earlstown's goalkeeper Beineon Duggan to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. In the 96th minute, one of Strand:s players had the ball in front of the goal but got pushed and fell. The referee felt it was an obvious case and blew a penalty for Strand. Earlstown's fans were exulted and cheered after their team won in a match that could easily have gone the other way.