Mountjoy 2 Orchard Farm 2

Mountjoy win 4-3 on penalties

Mountjoy United edged out Orchard Farm on penalties to set up a League Two Cup final against Lisnaskea Rovers.

Farm led the Division Two champions twice before losing on spot kicks, but Manager Stewart Armstrong felt the game’s big decisions in extra time were crucial in deciding the outcome of the match.

Seamus Quigley’s clash with the goalkeeper in the first period of extra time left him injured and out of the rest of the game, but Armstrong did not get the penalty he was hoping for.

He felt his side also had another justifiable penalty claim in the final seconds of the match, and then Mountjoy were allowed to retake a missed penalty in the shoot-out when the goalkeeper was adjudged to have come off his line.

Clattered

“The boys gave everything but three big, big calls went against us, and I thought two of them were pretty obvious that they should have gone our way,” he said.

“At the end of the first period of extra time, a free kick from Scott Armstrong was flicked on by Seamus Quigley who got to the ball ahead of the keeper.

“There was no malicious intent, but he absolutely clattered him.

“Seamus headed the ball over the bar but he was poleaxed.

“I felt the keeper had a right to go for it, but it was a stonewall penalty.

“Unfortunately, the referee felt differently to probably 22 men on the field, and gave them a goal kick.”

Despite his team missing out on a place in the final to the league two champions, Armstrong was pleased with the efforts of his team.

“Mountjoy were the better team and played the better football, but we stuck to our game plan doggedly,” he said.

“Mountjoy definitely deserved it, but when you put in the effort that we did only to come away with nothing, it is very disappointing.

“Our lads gave it absolutely everything. They are obviously a better team than we are, but the lads poured everything into it.

“They were suffering after 60 minutes, but they never stopped, and they didn’t deserve to lose like that. It is disappointing, but if we show that fight and desire next year then we will be 100 per cent.”

Mountjoy went into the match as favourites for victory and they dominated possession in the early stages, but Orchard Farm were organised in defence and made the most of a rare foray up the pitch when they took the lead after 20 minutes, Seamus Quigley heading in Scott Armstrong’s free kick.

Mountjoy got back on level terms from the penalty spot when Rodney Smith’s foul allowed Lee Frazer to score.

Two good saves prevented the new league champions from taking the lead, but they were again caught on the break by Farm with Niall Bradley’s pass finding Matty Dunlop who lobbed the keeper to restore their advantage just before half time.

Mountjoy continued to dominate possession in the second period and finally made a breakthrough on 73 minutes when Jack Swan tapped in a cross to level the match once again.

Extra time produced plenty of drama, with the challenge on Quigley going unpunished at the end of the first half.

The influential striker was unable to continue, and Farm had to replace him with their reserve goalkeeper coming on to play up front.

They had another penalty claim in the final seconds of the match when Ryan Dunlop clashed with the keeper, but the referee’s whistle was for full time rather than the spot kick the away team was hoping for.

In the penalty shoot out, the scores were locked at one-all when Lee Frazer crashed his penalty off the crossbar, but Farm’s celebration were cut short when the linesman decreed the keeper had moved off his line.

Frazer then converted his retaken kick, with Mountjoy going on to clinch the victory when Farm missed their next two.