Enniskillen Rangers 10 Lurgan Town Reserves 0
Mark Cutler scored five goals as Enniskillen Rangers hit double figures against Lurgan Town Reserves to ease into the last eight of the Junior Cup.
Cutler netted a 13 minute hat-trick in the first half, and Jason Keenan, Jamie Robinson, Joel Byrne, Jordan McClure and Stuart Rainey all added their names to the scoresheet in a routine victory for the four time Junior Cup winners.
Manager Michael Kerr praised his side’s attitude in a game that posed very little threat to Rangers’ hopes of a quarter final berth.
“When the draw was made it was the one we wanted, and the boys’ attitude and application from when the draw was made up until the game was absolutely spot on,” he said.
“I couldn’t fault one person for taking their foot off the gas. We knew this was a poor side to be at this stage of the Junior Cup so it was a good draw for us, but I have to give the boys credit. We had two really good nights at training and then on Saturday they applied themselves well.
“I asked for a quick start and I knew straight away the boys had come out with the bit between their teeth. We started well and there was a good intensity to their game.
“After 20 minutes we were 3-0 up so it was a routine performance. The hardest part is when you are leading by so much early on is to keep the game going at a good standard, but we did. I said at half time we wanted a clean sheet and we wanted a couple more goals, and we didn’t want any bookings, and we got the three of them.”
Mark Cutler’s haul of goals took him to 12 in the cup and 25 overall, and his manager has been impressed with his form since the start of the season.
“Mark is the best poacher I have seen in a long time, but he doesn’t play as a striker. He plays off the wing, but he drifts into danger areas and sniffs out chances.
“It’s great to have someone like that because I say every week the hardest thing to do in football is put the ball in the net, but Cutler is proving me wrong on that at the minute.”
Kick off at the Ball Range was put back by 30 minutes after the visiting team’s bus was delayed, but it made no difference to Rangers’ fast start, and within seven minutes they were ahead when a deep cross from the right was cut back to Cutler, who fired into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area.
Two minutes later he had added his second when he headed in from six yards out, and he completed a quick-fire hat-trick when he headed in Connor Rippey’s cross.
Ciaran Smith then threaded a pass between the centre backs for Jason Keenan to fire in off the post, and Cutler made it five before half time when he got on the end of another Rippey cross.
Kerr had the luxury of replacing both Ciaran Smith and Jason Keenan at half time, but it did nothing to halt the flow of goals. Jamie Robinson added a spectacular sixth when he swivelled and hit a volley into the top corner from the edge of the area, and Joel Byrne finished past the keeper after being set clear by Rainey.
McClure headed in an eighth before Cutler added another when he headed in a corner. Rainey completed the rout in the last minute when he glided past a defender and found the bottom corner of the net from 20 yards.
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