PICTURE SPECIAL: Last-gasp Hamilton penalty denies Comrades a replay

A LAST-GASP Gary Hamilton penalty denied Ballyclare Comrades an Irish Cup replay at The Oval after a fantastic performance against the Premier League champions at Dixon Park.

The sixth round tie had moved into injury time with the scores level, when referee Keith Halliday awarded the Glens a penalty after substitute Mattie Burrows went down in the box, following a soft challenge by Andy Long.

Ace marksman Hamilton kept his nerve and drilled home from the spot, to deny a Comrades side that had made Alan McDonald's men look very ordinary.

The penalty award may have been the main talking point around Ballyclare over the weekend, but the real victors were Ballyclare Comrades who belied their lowly Championship Division 1 position, by producing a battling performance that has won a few new admirers.

On a sun-splashed winter afternoon Dixon Park hosted the largest crowd of the season.

Bustling Mark McClelland gave Comrades the perfect start when he flashed the ball into the net from outside the box as early as the 4th minute. This was the prelude to a ding-dong battle between McClelland and visiting skipper Paul Leeman, with the big Comrades striker often out-muscling his experienced opponent.

But the dismissal of midfielder Stuart Galbraith for an off-the-ball offence in the 26th minute sparked the Glens into action, and Keith Gillespie, Colin Nixon, Andy Waterworth and Hamilton all finished weakly when within shooting distance of Allen Huxley, before there was a concerted assault on the home goal approaching the interval.

In the 42nd minute Hamilton contrived to miss from close in, and seconds later Gillespie, the former Northern Ireland international, ghosted past a couple of defenders before striking the post with a well directed lob from the touchline.

Back came the Glens and in the 43rd minute full back Nixon popped up at the back post to connect with a Neill corner to nod the equaliser past Huxley. The Reds stopper was on hand again in added time, when only his superb acrobatic save prevented Gillespie from putting his side ahead.

In the second session Comrades concentrated more on building up from the back, in an attempt to give lone striker McClelland some support, and right away Scott Irvine got in to the box twice.

Mattie Burrows, who netted for Dundela against Ballyclare in the Steel & Sons Cup final two years ago, had come on at half time as an extra striker, but with Stuart McCullough and Andy Long superb at the heart of the defence Huxley had an easier time.

When Neill was dismissed for a robust tackle in the 53rd minute it was ten against ten, with Glentoran continuing to have territorial advantage, but they lacked finishing power up front, and indeed Irvine almost snatched the lead, when his effort beat Elliott but clipped the bar on the way over.

Substitutes Clarke and Halliday were introduced by manager Alan McDonald in an attempt to seal victory, but it took that dramatic and controversial penalty in added time to book their place in the semi-final, where they have been rewarded with a plum home tie against cross-town rivals Linfield on 6th March.

Ballyclare Comrades sponsored by Solicitors Reid Black & Co: Huxley; Rushe, Long, McCullough, Munster; Irvine, McGowan, Galbraith, Forsythe (C), Officer; McClelland. Subs: Simms for Officer 79, Gowdy for McGowan 86, Moore for McClelland 86, McWilliams, Curlett.

Glentoran: Morris, Nixon, Leeman, Ward, Hill, Gillespie, Fordyce, Fitzgerald, Neill, Hamilton, Waterworth. Subs: Burrows for Hill 46, Halliday for Waterworth 71, Clarke for Fordyce 85, Johnny Taylor, James Taylor (GK).

Referee: Keith Halliday, Bangor.

The match was sponsored jointly by Clarence Takeaway, Ballyclare and John Allen Transport, Doagh. Match balls were supplied by Clare Farm Supplies, Ballyclare and Jim Bingham.