A much-changed Comrades side suffered the disappointment of a penalty shoot-out defeat to exit the County Antrim Shield at Wilgar Park.
Both managers used this game as an opportunity to give some fringe players game time, but the Dundela starting line-up had a few more with regular action so far this season and it showed in a first half which they dominated.
The hosts were looking to avenge a defeat against Comrades in the Championship two weeks previously and inside 30 seconds they came close to opening the scoring. The visitors gave the ball away cheaply in midfield and allowed Dundela to raid down the right with the move ending with Annett firing just over from 14 yards.
On five minutes Annett had another chance when a long throw into the box saw the ball break to him 6 yards out, but this time he fired well over.
The home side continued to pile on the pressure and took a deserved lead on 10 minutes when Igiehon received the ball in the box after an incisive thrust up the right and turned neatly to fire low into the far corner of the net.
Dundela looked very capable of increasing their lead and they would have only for great goalkeeping from Declan Breen. In the 16th minute he did very well to block from Annett after the striker found himself in a great position in the middle of the box. Then, a minute later, Breen made an even better save touching a headed effort from Igiehon onto the post from a corner.
The rampant hosts came close again in the 23rd minute with Annett, who could easily have had a hat-trick by this stage, volleying inches wide of the near post from the left side of the box.
The latter part of the first half saw Comrades dig in and do better at preventing chances being made, although they were grateful to see a cross from the right from Chapman come off the top of the bar two minutes into injury time.
Comrades had posed very little threat in the first half but came out after the break in a much more positive fashion. On 47 minutes they forced a good save from Cairns when he tipped the ball over the bar after Elliot McKim had sent in a powerful header from a Gary Donnelly corner.
However, Dundela still posed a serious threat at the other end. In the 54th minute Beattie should have done better when receiving the ball in space 15 yards out, but he shot wide of the target. Three minutes later Igiehon got his head to a corner, but his downward effort went straight at Declan Breen who held onto the ball safely.
Comrades levelled the scores in the 68th minute when Joe Tully played a ball which eluded the home defence and set substitute Conall Curran free in the box and he coolly knocked the ball over the ‘keeper from 6 yards.
The visitors now had their tails up and came close to hitting the front in the 73rd minute when Matthew Herron played a great ball across the 6-yard box which Kyle Beggs was ready to pounce on only to be denied by a great block from defender Magee.
Both sides pressed for a winner in the latter stages of the game. On 76 minutes Annett stabbed a clever effort just wide from 16 yards for the hosts. Two minutes later Dundela came close again when a counterattack ended with Fyfe glancing a header on target from 8 yards, but Declan Breen was well placed to save.
In the 80th minute Dobbin came close when he shot just wide of the far post from 10 yards out on the right side of the box.
However, it was Comrades who came closest to getting the winner and avoiding a penalty shootout. In the 89th minute Darius Roohi who made a very lively cameo substitute appearance, played a great ball in from the left edge of the box which was met by a diving Joe Tully header from 9 yards that came out off the underside of the bar. Then, from the rebound, ‘keeper Cairns produced a great save to turn Conall Curran’s effort onto the bar.
At the final whistle, the match moved straight to penalties to decide the winner. The hosts went first, and Magee scored, with Darius Roohi then levelling with Comrades’ opening penalty. However, it was Comrades who were the first to blink when Cairns saved Joe Tully’s effort which was Comrades second. All the next penalties were converted with Gary Donnelly and Conall Currran successful for Comrades until Dundela had the chance to wrap up victory with their fifth penalty. Goalkeeper Cairns stepped up to take it but was foiled by a save from Declan Breen. However, Cairns was to be the Dundela hero after all as he saved the next penalty taken by Elliot McKim to send his team through.
