News Detail » Match Report: Graham Harkness Memorial Match 2014
Graham Harkness Memorial Match 2014
Scottish Amateur FA v Leinster Senior League Select
Palmerston Park, Dumfries
Saturday 5th April 2014
SAFA Select 0 Leinster Senior League Select 0
(SAFA Select won 4-2 penalty kicks after ninety minutes)
Given the occasion there was more that usual formality prior to the game in what must have been an extremely emotional day for the Graham Harkness family and friends.
With the official party presentation Ian Barclay (Chairman Leinster SL) President of the SAFA Hugh Knapp and special guest John Delaney (CEO –FAI) and a large crown in attendance you could feel the tension in the air.
The tension seemed to have an effect on both set of players , always a close encounter with little quarter given with the Leinster team looking the more likely in a dour first half. Both sets of players could not be faulted for the commitment but little flowing football or goal mouth incidents of note left both managers frustrated.
The SAFA Select manager Bruce McNaught had suffered a blow on Friday when David McKay (Colville Park AFC) pulled out injured but luckily he had players on standby and David Donaldson was brought into the squad for the trip and was introduced along with McDevitt early in the second period.
The second half also brought an improvement in the entertainment level as both team continued in “hammer and tongs” routine but despite the Leinster number nine missing the best chance of the game he manged to blast the ball high and wide of the target.
Kenneth Feaks was also introduced in the 50th minute after Michael Brown was winded in a heavy challenge and join his club mate Alan Inglis who had replaced Michael Mullen who had run himself into a stand-still against a robust Leinster defence.
However, both goalkeepers were almost redundant without a decent save to make it looked inevitable that it would take penalties to decide the outcome.
So after ninety goalless minutes it was again down to penalty kicks to decide the outcome.
Leinster went first and converted their initial and fourth attempt with Jordan Longmuir spoiling their day brilliant saves for the middle two, meanwhile his teammates Inglis, Fotheringham, Donaldson and Cleary made no mistake with splendid kicks that gave Tadgh Murphy (last years hero) no chance.
Match Officials - Lloyd Wilson, Robin Carr & Fraser Cameron (all from SFA South of Scotland ) and Alan Rome SFA Edinburgh Referee Association.
SAFA SELECT SQUAD
1. Jordan Longmuir (Colville Park AFC)
2. Robbie Peebles (Wellhouse AFC)
3. Michael Brown (Colville Park AFC)
4. Colin MacLeod (Bannockburn AFC)
5. Gary Gaitens (Wellhouse AFC)
6. Alex Cleary (Colville Park AFC)
7. Niall McClure (Glasgow Harp AFC)
8. Gary Currie (Bannockburn AFC)
9. Michael Mullen (Hurlford Thistle AFC)
10. Gary Dickson (Giffnock North AFC)
11. Kevin Fotheringham (Bannockburn AFC)
12. Kenny Feaks (Doune Castle AFC)
14. Steven McDevitt (Wellhouse AFC)
15. David Donaldson (Bannockburn AFC)
16. Alan Inglis (Doune Castle AFC)
17. John Nisbet (Tollcross AFC)
Match Report and Match Photographs by John Rodgers (SAFA Internationalist Publicist)
Official Photographs Here
