Cookstown Hockey Club

Cookstown III 2 Lisnagarvey II 2
COOKSTOWN entertained league leaders and Junior 1 champions-in-waiting on Saturday in a thrilling encounter that ebbed and flowed for the full seventy minutes.
The Reds have been very good at home this year and knew that ‘Garvey saw this game as a potential ‘banana skin’ in their chase for the title. So it proved to be as Cookstown forced a hard fought draw in this match.
The game started at a frenetic pace with the Lisburn side keen to get a foot hold and press Cookstown in their own half. The Reds frontline and midfield were having to work very hard to try to contain play and certainly had success in the opening ten minutes. Lisnagarvey did however go ahead through a wonder strike from the right hand side. Moving the ball quickly from defence to attack, the ball broke fortuitously to the right and the midfielder hit an unstoppable drive into the roof of the net.
Things got worse ten minutes later when Cookstown conceded their second short corner and their drag flicker, McQueen, placed a flick high into Somerville’s net. At this stage the writing looked to be on the wall but, in true Co.Tyrone style, the boys gathered themselves and refused to lie down in the face of adversity.
The Reds midfield were starting to settle and Robin Johnston quickly set about rallying the skills of younger brother Michael and thirds revelation Ryan Miller to drive forward as a unit. They quickly pulled a goal back when Cuddy released Michael Johnston and he squared to Matty Montgomery who slotted the ball under the advancing keeper.
Halftime arrived and Ken Crooks urged the team to concentrate on their defensive duties first and foremost and encouraged the forwards that there would be chances in the second half for them.
They say that goals change matches and that certainly rang true as Cookstown started the second half with a new found confidence. Matty Montgomery was having a great game at left wing and Michael Johnston was controlling play on the right side of midfield. In these purple patches it is important to capitalise on any opportunity, and a moment of indiscipline in the Garvey defence led to a Cookstown short corner. Up stepped new short corner specialist Ian Hagan to play a clever lob and the bewildered Garvey net minder could only palm it back down to Hagan again who slammed it in for the equaliser.
The Thirds had the Blues on the back foot at this stage and further chances fell to Cuddy and Montgomery. However, it was no surprise to see Lisnagarvey raise the tempo in the final fifteen minutes. Their passing was slick and Cookstown were starting to tire.
At this stage the Reds needed someone to step ‘up to the plate’ and they found their man in goal keeper Colin Somerville. It was Somerville who had threatened retirement after a 7-0 reverse in the away fixture and he certainly had the bit between his teeth as he sought revenge. The ball was rarely out of the Cookstown circle but Somerville made save after save to keep the Reds in the game.
Several times the Garvey boys had begun their celebrations only to see Smokie again push the ball around the post. His timing and quick reflexes were top drawer and any Premier League keeper would have been proud of such a display. He, of course, was first to praise his defence of Ian Hagan, Ken Crooks, Mark Wilson and Paul Cherry who each put in outstanding performances themselves. They frustrated every Garvey attack and, only for some excellent defensive work at the other end, Cookstown could have sneaked a late winner, but captain Cuddy was delighted with a hard fought draw.
Any of the teams in this league will recognise the magnitude of this result. Only Cookstown II have managed a draw with Lisnagarvey Seconds this season and many teams have been turned over very comfortably. However, they will be looking over their shoulder anxiously at Annadale II who are now making inroads to spoiling the ‘Garvey Party.
Thanks to Les Allen for umpiring.
Cookstown: Colin Somerville, Ken Crooks, Paul Cherry, Ian Hagan, Mark Wilson, Michalel Johnston, Robin Johnston, Ryan Millar, Raymond Miller, Sam Cuddy and Matty Montgomery
Millar, Shearer and Black Man of the Match: Every player put in a Man of the Match performance but Colin Somerville had a point to prove in goals and boy did he prove it in the second half.

Instonians III 0 Cookstown V 2
THE COOKSTOWN V freight train went steaming on in the Junior Shield with a close but controlled win over favourites Instonians III.
Knowing all full well the pedigree of their opponents, a younger looking Cookstown approached the game fearlessly and took immediate control and after five minutes, after great work from Faulkner, Robinson and Turkington, the Reds won a penalty corner.
Cometh the hour, cometh the Kee, and he stepped up with unrivalled confidence and smashed the penalty away to such an extent it nearly burst a hole in the netting.
The momentum grew and shortly after Hutchinson scored a screamer from the edge of the box with a shot that left the keeper unsighted after immense skill from Watt and Thom up the right.
The Reds could have been out of sight by half time but couldn’t capitalise on many more chances and only the post saved Inst blushes.