Sensational comeback win all in vain as Dollingstown go down on goal difference

Dollingstown delebrate their late win, but delight turned to despair when the other results came in.
Dollingstown celebrate a late win, but delight turned to despair when other results came in.Dollingstown celebrate a late win, but delight turned to despair when other results came in.
Dollingstown celebrate a late win, but delight turned to despair when other results came in.

It was a very tense afternoon for both teams as a win for Glebe would have guaranteed them senior football for another year whilst Dollingstown had to win and hope that one of the other four games went in their favour.

Glebe shocked Dollingstown as early as the third minute when a right wing cross was hammered home at the back post and they doubled their lead on 15 minutes when again from a short corner on the right the ball was hammered low into the bottom corner.

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To compound things further for Dollingstown they lost midfielder Marty Hughes who was carried off after getting hit by the ball in the face and he was replaced by Scott Adams.

Despite a few headers from Gibson Dollingstown didn’t really open up Glebe in the first 45 minutes but whatever manager Gary Duke said at half time had the desired affect as on 48 minutes a great move involving Jamie Tomelty and Gibson ended with Adams firing just wide.

Then on 66 minutes Dollingstown got the goal that was coming when a deflected shot from Lavery crept into the bottom corner.

A couple of minutes later it looked all over when a mistake at the back allowed the Glebe right winger to put them 3-1 up as the large home support went wild. Manager Duke replaced Niall Lavery and Tomelty with Norton and Rodgers and on 88 minutes from a McConnell throw in skipper Moffett headed home and a minute later they were awarded a penalty for handball which Glen Hand calmly converted to bring the game all square at 3-3.

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In the final frantic minutes with Dollingstown going all out for the win that might keep them up they had another chance when Hand was through but fired over the bar.

However when same player got another chance on 92 minutes he calmly slotted the ball beyond the keeper into the bottom corner and Dollingstown were the team now celebrating an unlikely win.

This was a cruel game for both teams whose emotions ran high at the end and when the final results came in all four clubs who were in danger of relegation all won on the final day to relegate Dollingstown on goal difference from Newington.

Dollingstown will now return to Mid Ulster A next season and the committee plus management team will all need to get to work immediately to try and make a big effort to return to senior football at the first attempt.

Team: Hynds, Denver, Moffett, Rodgers, McConnell, Hand, Hughes, Lavery, Tomelty, Gibson, Thompson. Subs Adams, Coleman, Hamilton, Norton and Rodgers.