The Dollybirds Book Boxing Day Final After Duke Sucker Punch

The postponed match from a couple of weeks ago finally got underway at Iveagh Park and DFC rose victorious to reach there second Bob Radcliffe cup final in club history.

Rathfriland opened brightly especially down the right-wing and nearly caught DFC out in the opening quarter-hour mainly with Costello on the end of things.

DFC likewise had a few chances with Norton and Clark combining but both defences held firm during the first half.

DFC put together the best move of the match after the restart down the right involving Redpath and Clark and Norton but no final end product in the box.

At the other end Costello kept trying hard but his shot from the edge of the area thankfully drifted just wide of the upright.

On the hour mark Keegan produced a delightful cross from the left-wing but skipper Moffett headed wide.

Then a few minutes later the same player delivered another superb cross from the left which Clark coming in from the right-wing headed straight at keeper Shane Harrison and from the rebound Norton really should have opened the scoring but Harrison pulled off a miraculous one-handed save.

Keegan was then replaced by Scott Adams as DFC kept plugging away against a very strong Rathfriland side made up of many ex Irish league players.

Then with only 6 minutes remaining the all important goal finally arrived . Clark harried Ross Black at left back into a mistake and he kept his composure to find Duke in the box who calmly stroked it into the bottom corner.

This was a truly gutsy team effort by everyone from DFC that seen them reach the final on Boxing Day morning in loughgall.

DFC make the welcome return to league action this Saturday away once again to camlough and it is most important to try and focus on getting 3 points to reduce the deficit at the top of the table after all these recent cup matches.

MATCH PICTURES with Thanks to Eamonn at EDS Photography