Shankill United 2-2 Crumlin Star (Shankill win 5-3 on pens)

Last Wednesday the Star travelled the short distance down to the Hammer complex as they faced Shankill United in the last eight of the Clarence Cup.
With a very large crown in attendance the two sides produced one of the games of the season with exciting football and deadly finishing on show.
Shankill started the brighter of the two sides as they attacked down the right flank on several occasions and put in some dangerous crosses which had Thompson on high alert. 
As the Star settled down they gradually came into the game as Gormley and Brown linked up well up top. 
Gormley then had a perfectly good goal ruled out for offside when he headed home at the back post but somehow the referee disallowed it when it was clear to everyone else in the ground he was on. 
The Star were well on top at this stage and went close again when Braniff blazed just wide from the edge of the box and Gormley hit a post from three yards out when he had an open net to shoot at. 
Just before the break the Star broke the deadlock when Gormleys pin point cross found Paul Brown at the back post who headed the Star in front.

H/T 0-1

Within ten minutes of the restart the Star found themselves 2-1 down after Shankill came out with all guns firing. 
The equaliser was a bit fortuitous as a deflection wrong footed Thomoson and spun into the net, but the home sides second goal was all about pace when Shankill broke away from a Star corner and within six seconds the ball was in the back of Thompsons net. 
Shankill were flying at this point as their strikers zipped about with renewed confidence and continually looked dangerous. 
But the Ardoyne side showed their fighting spirit and equalised on the hour when Berne won a header at the back post for Gormley to poke home and level the scores. 
The game was perfectly matched at this point as Battles were being fought all over but none more so than in the middle of the park where the two number eights were having an immense but fair tussle. As time ran out the Star had a double shout for a penalty when firstly Brown was fumbled by Uniteds keeper and then Gormley was upended straight after but the referee waved both protests away. 
As the sides couldn't be separated the game went into extra time where chances were few and far between but a moment of brilliance from Gormley almost won the game for the Star when he turned and dinked the ball over his marker in one movement but his shot was excellently saved by the Shankill number one. 
So the game went to penalties where every player confidently put there spot kick away but there always has to be an unlucky one and it was Sean O'Reilly when his effort was saved by the keeper. 

Next week the Star face Ballywalter at Solitude in their final game of the season, Kick off 2:00pm.

P Brown got the opener!