Cork joy for Cookstown

Cork C of I’s hopes of retaining the Irish Junior Cup came undone in cruel fashion at the hands of Cookstown at Garryduff, the Tyrone side prevailing on penalty strokes following a six-goal thriller. The visitors were seeking to avenge a 4-3 defeat at the semi-final stage last term, a prospect which looked unlikely as C of I led through Nick Burns and Stuart O’Grady. Burns gave C of I the lead on four minutes in controversial fashion, the beginning of a highly eventful day for the youngster. A Cookstown defender was seemingly adjudged to have auto-passed a hit-out as he was placing the ball, and as he appealed in vain to umpire Alastair Shute, Burns nipped in to score. O’Grady augmented that lead on 23 minutes, turning and shooting sweetly at the top of the D after being picked out by Adam O’Callaghan’s searching long ball. But Ian Cheevers and Stuart Smyth put Cookstown back on level terms with goals either side of the break – the first a straight hit, the second coming after a goalmouth scramble. Burns made it 3-2 when he roofed a drag-flick before being sin-binned, and C of I’s Richie Dorman hit the post with a penalty stroke, before Cheevers tied it up again with eight minutes to go with a carbon copy of his first. Extra-time produced no goals,but plenty of drama. Burns received his second yellow card, with Andrew Daunt also sin-binned, leaving C of I with nine men at one stage – nonetheless, Stephen Parker hit a post in the dying minutes as C of I pressed for a winner which never came. Controversy reigned in the aftermath as Burns was – incorrectly – prevented from partaking in the shootout under the mistaken belief that a player must be on the pitch at the final whistle to be included in the five penalty takers. It is not yet known whether C of I will appeal that decision – or whether any such move would achieve anything – but the subsequent shootout left them with a sour taste. All 10 initial strokes were successful, sending it into sudden death, and C of I’s David Harvey was first to blink, firing wide of the top corner to hand Cookstown an 8-7 strokes victory. The Tyrone side now meet YMCA — 5-2 winners at Bangor — in the last four, with Lisnagarvey hosting Monkstown. Domestically, UCC’s hopes of an IHL wildcard playoff spot were all but dashed by Cork Harlequins at Mount Mercy. The stubborn students matched Quins stride-for-stride throughout, but felt they didn’t get the rub of the green from officialdom, and Dan Hobbs, John Hobbs, Brian Hayes Curtin and Eddie Dore helped Quins to an ultimately comfortable 4-0 victory. College face Bandon in their final league game knowing they must win, and hope the westerners get nothing from their three games in hand, to claim third place. For Quins, the win ensures their hopes of setting up a winner-takes-all showdown with C of I are still intact.