Rocket comes back to wreck Stute cup hopes

The loss, which was the Waterside side’s second in a row, will mean that boss Paul Kee needs to go back to the drawing board and search for their much-needed drive from his team.

The visitors broke the deadlock from the penalty spot after just seven minutes when goalkeeper Rory Kelly dropped Jay McCartney’s right wing corner to and in his attempt to try and get the ball back brought down Liam Martin.

Referee Raymond Hetherington pointed to the spot and striker Anthony Elding made no mistake sending Kelly the wrong way, slotting the ball into the bottom right hand corner.

Elding missed a glorious chance to score a second on 29 minutes, but with only Kelly to beat the big striker fired wide, after John Currie’s through ball had caught out the Stute back-line.

Ballinamallard suffered an injury set-back just before half-time with Fergal Murphy picking up a hamstring string and being replaced by Stefan McCusker at the break.

Institute were denied an equaliser right at the start of the second half when Aaron Walsh’s high looping free-kick found John Curran his header found fellow centre-back Stephen O’Donnell, but his header, which had McCusker beaten, hit the bar.

The visitors doubled their advantage on 49 minutes when a Stute old boy came back to haunt his former club.

Striker Ryan Campbell picked up posession from 30 yards from goal he ran at the home side’s back-line before firing low into Kelly’s bottom right hand corner from just outside the box.

Elding went close to blasting home a third this time he chested down McCartney’s corner but his volley from just 12 yards was deflected wide by Graham Crown.

Just after the hour mark the Drumahoe men had half a chance but after some neat build up play, Cormac Burke saw his 20 yard drive flash well off target.

Seven minutes from time Kee made two changes as the tried to spark some life into his team, with youngsters Ronan Doherty and David Healy replacing Bruke and Jordan Armstrong.

In the closing stages Healy went close but his drive was superbly blocked by the diving Mark Stafford.

Institute: Kelly, Crown, Curran, O’Donnell; Curry, McManus, Walsh, Burke (Healy 83), B Doherty; Armstrong (R Doherty 83), O’Flynn.

Ballinamallard United: Murphy (McCusker H-T), Crilly, McNulty (Stafford 77), McMenamin, Elliott; McCartney, Martin, Foy, Currie (Haveron 83); Campbell Elding.

Referee: Mr Raymond 
Hetherington (Dungannon).


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