JUMPING Jack Ferguson sent County Antrim into the Milk Cup record books with three penalty saves in a tense Premier final shoot-out.
Antrim became the first ever county side to win the Dale Farm Milk Cup thanks to a sensational penalty shout-out victory over Club America at the Ballymena Showgrounds. Antrim won the shoot-out 3-2 after an entertaining 1-1 draw with the Mexcians after Ryan Nimick and Ricardo exchanged goals.
Northern Ireland U17s goalkeeper Ferguson was ecstatic.
“It means a lot to me and all the boys because Antrim have never won it before,” he said.
“I thought we were the better team during the game but we let in a late goal, so we just had to do it in the shoot-out. We really took it to them during the game and we did everything we could to win the match in normal time but it went to penalties.”
County Antrim had the lead after just 27 seconds. Andy Hunter’s boys attacked from the first whistle, throwing a ball into the box that the Mexicans just couldn’t handle. Brandon Doyle aimed a firm header at goal which Club America goalkeeper Rafael tipped onto the cross bar, only for Nimick to turn the ball into the back of the net after a goal-line scramble. It was the perfect start for the county boys.
The game’s most controversial moment arrived with 16 minutes left on the clock.
Ballymena wonderkid Matthew Shevlin was fouled just outside the area. The confident young forward made sure it was he who took the free-kick, and his 20-yard effort cannoned off the underside of the bar and bounced on Rafael’s line. Shevlin thought the ball had crossed the line, but the match officials were unmoved.
Within two minutes, it was 1-1. Club America took a smart low corner that caught Antrim cold. The switched-on Ricardo latched onto the ball and drilled it into the bottom corner. That goal eventually forced the game into a penalty shoot-out.
Club America’s Juan and Liam McKenna both found the net in the first round of kicks, before Jerey and Shevlin exchanged misses. Jerey’s was well-saved by the magnificent Ferguson, while Shevlin went straight down the middle, allowing Rafael to save.
Ferguson made another world-class low save from Ricardo, before Cliftonville’s Cormac Lawlor gave Antrim a 2-1 lead.
Johan levelled scores before Joe Tully made it 3-2 to Antrim with a cool spot-kick. Club America star Jared needed to score to keep the Mexicans in the game, but he hit the foot of the post. It was enough to secure County Antrim the 2015 Dale Farm Milk Cup.
In the Junior final earlier in the day, Southampton lost 7-0 to Ghanaian side Right to Dream.
It took just three minutes for Right to Dream to take the lead. After a tidy passing move Emmanul Bam burst into the box and directed a shot-cum-cross towards the far post which was turned into the net by unfortunate Southampton defender Joe Tomlinson.
Midfielder Ibrahim Sadiq made no mistake in the 17th minute. Southampton defender Kameron Ledwidge played a short pass-back which Sadiq sprinted on to before slotting home for 2-0.
It was 3-0 a minute before the break. Ernest Boahene scored a stunning 30-yard free-kick.
Emmanuel Doku curled a brilliant 18-yard effort into the top corner 10 minutes into the second half befor Isaac Atanga grabbed another. Substitute Mohammed Diomande and Atanga both added goals in injury time to leave the score at 7-0.
