Senior Cup – Semi Final
West Dragons' fire was too hot for ten-man cup holders Hakin United to handle
Hakin United 0 – West Dragons 4
West Dragons caused one of the biggest upsets in Senior Cup history by knocking out holders Hakin United 4-0 at the Conygar Bridge Meadow on Tuesday night.
Scott Crawford scored twice for West Dragons alongside other goals scored by Jay Brockway and Steven Dockerty.
Delaney had not read the script
The Vikings have not lost in this competition for two seasons, but Dragons player manager Nigel Delaney had not read the script as his team pulled off an incredible victory.
This result was no more than what the second division outfit deserved, as they thoroughly deserved this victory over the shell-shocked first division opponents, the Vikings have lifted the trophy for the last two years.
It all went pear shaped for Hakin United as early as the ninth minute when they had midfelder Jonathan Bennett sent off for deliberately elbowing Jonathan Clarke.
The Dragons took the lead on 14 minutes as the alert Brockway nodded Crawford's header across the box home.
The Dragons had further goal scoring opportunities in the first period but it stood 1-0 at half time.
Dragons take control
After the interval it was all the Dragons who did not give the ten-men of Hakin any time or space on the ball. Dragons' lively striker Crawford drilled home his side's second goal from inside the box on 48 minutes.
And unbelievably the Dragons went 3-0 up on 74 minutes when right-sided midfielder Dockerty's low drive was spilled by Vikings' keeper Steve Hartley and into his own net.
Now the writing was on the wall for the stunned cup holders and if matters could not get any worse for the Vikings, the Dragons added a fourth goal on 90 minutes.
Man of the match Crawford beat Hartley to the ball first and with the keeper on the floor the striker got up quickest to guide the ball home into an empty net and complete the unlikely rout.
Hakin United: Steve Hartley; Paul Jenkins; Ewan Findlay; Steven Allen; Leigh Broome; Andrew Kingston; Justin Harding; Jonathan Bennett; Ashley Bevan; Steven Mathias; James Stanmore. Substitutes: Scott Davies; Paul Jones; Nathan Banner.
West Dragons: Andrew Mathias; Ian Harris; Ewan Cunningham; Karl Hedley; Scott Delaney; Jonathan Clarke; Steven Dockerty; Nigel Delaney; Jay Brockway; Rob Hedley; Scott Crawford. Substitutes: Jamie Palmer; Niall Kinsella; Joe Brill.
Referee: Kevin Bowen.
Assistants: Matthew Mercer & Sean O'Connor.
PHOTO:
West Dragons' Jonathan Clarke and Karl Hedley put Hakin United's Jonathan Bennett under pressure shortly before he received his marching orders by referee Kevin Bowen.