West is best in Regions Cup play-off game

Western Region …3

Eastern Region…..0

WEST was best in the UEFA Regions Cup Qualifier play-off game at Stangmore Park last evening.

Two well-taken goals by the excellent John Butcher and a fantastic strike by Newbuildings attacker Matthew Pierce secured an impressive victory for the Western region, who, under manager Harry McConkey, will now go forward to represent Northern Ireland later in the year.

While the East shaded the verdict in the first 45 minutes in terms of territory and possession, it was two moments of genuine quality which gave the West a 2-0 interval lead.

On 13 minutes Pierce played the ball into the path of raiding left-back Niall Fielding and the Dergview man put it on a plate for Butcher to finish with a cushioned volley at the near post.

Butcher was a real livewire in the first half and the Limavady United attacker netted a brilliant second on the stroke of half-time. The number 10 collected a short corner kick on the left corner of the penalty box, before dropping the shoulder and waltzing past no fewer than three defenders and finishing with a low shot.

Early in the second half the East threatened through Johnny Mairs, of Queens University, and HW Welders’ Ewan McCoubrey but on the hour mark Pierce killed the game as a contest.

A defender failed to control a square pass and Pierce sprinted through the heart of the East defence. Despite having three chasing defenders for company the Newbuildings man hammered a rising shot past Smyth from just inside the box.

That was essentially game, set and match. Both teams emptied their respective benches thereafter, and, as per the norm, that disrupted the flow for the remainder of the game.

FULL REPORT AND PICTURES IN MONDAY’S TYRONE HERALD