21/10/2021
MATCH REPORT
TUESDAY 19TH OCTOBER 2021
LINFIELD 6 - 1 DUNDELA
County Antrim Shield Quarter Final
There wasn’t a large turn out at the game between Linfield and Dundela in the County Antrim Shield Quarter Final. The few fans were seated in the top tier of the North Stand at Windsor Park. The players entered the field at 7:42 as the wind blew Strongly! Ross Dunlop, who had the job of refereeing, blew the whistle and the game was underway, as Linfield kicked off wearing their blue shirts, white shorts and red socks. In the other half however Dundela all in green began to pile on the pressure.
The first chance of the game came in the third minute and Linfield’s way as Martin Donnelly tried his efforts from far out, however couldn’t find the back of the net.
Fast forward 2 minutes and Dundela’s Eoin Kane made a huge mistake as he tried to pass the ball back to his own keeper.
Linfield’s Andrew Clarke, was awake and ready as he got on the end of the ball, took it round the Dundela goalkeeper, Mark Matthews, and coolly slotted it into the empty net. 8 minutes played and Linfield lead 1 – 0.
15 minutes in and Dundela have shown no threat until Ethan Warnock was caught and earned a free kick. Anthony Kane’s inswinger from the left was caught comfortably by the Linfield goalkeeper, David Walsh. His first feel of the ball.
In the 27th minute, the game was held up for a few minutes as Dundela’s, Owein Beggs, went down under a challenge and hurt his ankle. A few minutes later he was back up and running again!
The first corner of the game went Dundela’s way on the half hour mark although it was easily cleared by the Linfield defence.
There was a Linfield penalty claim in the thirty-third minute as the Dundela defender slid in to block Clarke’s shot, the referee continued the play.
Dundela’s first real chance of the game came in the thirty eighth minute as a free kick on the right-hand side was whipped in. David McMaster got his head on the end of it but couldn’t supply the finish!
A little flair of play just before half time from Dundela came to nothing in the end.
After 1 additional minute of play the half time whistle blew. Linfield 1 – 0 Dundela.
Dundela kicked off the second half. However, in the fifty second minute Jamie Mulgrew played in a low cross from the right-hand side which found its way to Niall Quinn on the edge of the box. He then hit a shot with his right foot and the ball made it into the bottom right of the net. 2 – 0 Linfield.
Straight after the restart, Dundela defence gave the ball away, Clarke picks it up and squares it to Ahmad Salam for a tap in. 3 – 0.
Again, in the fifty-ninth minute, Linfield pick up the ball on the left-hand side. Salam crosses the ball into the box and Niall Quinn rises to head the ball into the net. His second of the night. 4 – 0!
Linfield win another corner in the sixty sixth minute as Niall Quinn delivers a good ball into the box. It falls to the feet of the Linfield skipper, Jimmy Callacher, on the edge of the box, who scored an absolute stunner. The ball flew into the top left corner of the net. Goalkeeper Matthews had no chance of stopping it!
Dundela’s first major attack of the second half ends in a goal. An absolute cracker of a finish by the substitute Rhys Arnett. He picked the ball up on the edge of the 18 yard box, turned, and finessed it straight into the right hand side of the net! After 75 minutes of play Dundela finally get themselves a goal back to the delight of Dundela manager Niall Currie.
Linfield could’ve made it 6 as Billy Chadwick was picked out from a lovely through ball but Matthews denied him with a brilliant save in a 1 v 1 situation.
Coming into the final few minutes, Quinn was determined to get his third goal, when Linfield substitute, Callum Marshall, was played through on goal, his shot however was parried away. It fell to Niall Quinn who took it round the keeper to fire it into the net to complete his first career hattrick!
David Healy must have planned his half-time team talk well as Linfield came out on fire and it ended Linfield 6 – 1 Dundela!
Joel Bell
Linfield FC Fans
Wilgar Park, Dundela FC
Niflnews21
