McCracken Hat Trick Hero in Thriller

Many supporters fondly remember the time when the young Craig McCracken was a goal-scoring machine at Comber Rec. Those memories were sweetly revived at Park Way on Saturday when he struck a glorious second half hat trick to overturn an Albert Foundry two goal advantage, and put Rec through to the next round of the Border Cup. It was a victory richly deserved by a home side that was on top for most of the game, and it came even after they had missed a penalty kick, taken by none other than McCracken himself!
Rec were still without the injured Neil Magowan and absent Marty Robinson as the match started in bright sunshine on a perfect playing surface. It was Comber who were moving more smoothly in a quiet opening period, led by the midfield skills of Jim McCloskey, and it was he who brought the game to life just before the quarter hour. Collecting a loose ball in the centre circle, McCloskey went on a controlled run past two defenders and from 20 yards cracked a tremendous left foot shot that keeper Mateer did very well to tip over the crossbar. It was a great piece of action and indicative of the more aggressive Comber Rec of the past few matches.
Two minutes later another fine sequence spelt more danger for Foundry. A quick passing move down the left side allowed Gordon Leckey to put over a tricky ball that broke to Ross Hegan, and his shot zipped a yard wide.
At this stage all the forward movement was coming from Comber, and Mateer hacked away a lovely Gareth Larmour centre that had eluded two defenders in the area.
Foundry’s first effort on goal arrived on the half hour, but Connor Couston cleanly took the dropping McGrath free kick, and then inside a minute a Hegan lob at the other end cleared the bar by a yard.
Rec were still very much in command, and only an offside whistle squashed a lovely Larmour free kick 10 minutes from the interval, so it was hardly conceivable on the evidence of play up to that point that the visitors were suddenly going to score two goals before half time.
The first came from an O’Boyle free kick. Unaccountably the Rec defence stood still and allowed the ball to reach the unmarked West at the back post, and he gratefully volleyed it home from a few yards.
Rec had a chance to draw level in the 40th minute when Chris Nicholl’s long throw-in presented Leckey with an opening, but his left foot shot was weakly hit and easy for Mateer.
With a couple of minutes left to the interval, Foundry struck again, but this time the goal should never have stood. The keeper’s long kick out reached Doyle and McCaw, blatantly offside five yards behind last defender Peter Kelly, but the referee was deep inside the other half and in no position to make a proper judgement, so play was allowed to continue. Doyle drew the Rec defender and squared the ball to the unmarked McCaw who had the simplest of tasks in sliding it wide of Couston into the net. The goal was a cruel blow to a Rec team that had dominated the half, but found itself going into the pavilion two goals in arrears.
Rec came out like a team bent on justice, and Kelly’s tremendous half volley from the centre circle flew a couple of feet wide.
Good work by McCloskey on the left fed Leckey inside the Foundry box and he laid back a short ball to McCracken who struck it well wide.
A McCord snapshot hit Couston’s side netting in a brief Foundry attack, but Rec continued to threaten the visitors’ goal, and McCloskey had a great chance at the back post but hit the keeper from 5 yards. Kelly’s header from the resulting corner was well over the top.
A Comber goal was on the cards, and it duly arrived exactly on the hour. McCloskey’s long ball down the left was collected by Leckey and turned inside for the predatory McCracken to hook left footed past Mateer. The goal was quick and precise, and impossible to defend.
A slick Brent Reid backheel minutes later gave McCloskey a sight of goal, but he pulled his half volley well wide.
Midway through the half Rec were awarded a penalty for a hand ball offence, but Mateer saved McCracken’s spot kick very comfortably. The need for a penalty kick expert at Park Way is now clearer than ever…..
McCracken almost made amends inside a few minutes when he got on the end of a quick though ball and stabbed a shot a few feet outside the post, and then Mateer did well to grab a McCracken chipped free kick.
With half an hour of the second period played Rec deservedly drew level. Keith Dougherty’s short free kick caught the Foundry defence napping, and sub Nial Davison showed good skill along the left byeline to find McCracken in front of goal, and he blasted the ball high into the net, giving Mateer no chance.
An injury to a Foundry player, who unfortunately had to be stretchered off, caused a lengthy delay, but when play resumed Rec took up where they had left off, and McCracken again looked likely when he turned his marker on the left of the area, but the shot was well off target.
Two minutes from the end of normal time McCracken hit the winner. A brisk passing move put him through and he made no mistake from 12 yards, beating the keeper with a clean strike to complete his hat trick, and show that his natural role is up front in a finishing capacity.
The referee added 5 minutes’ injury time but although Foundry threw everybody forward in desperation, they ended the game a well beaten side.
This cup win can be the tonic Rec need to take into the hurly burly of the league programme. To come from two goals behind to beat Albert Foundry is no mean feat, and the sight of three goals put away hopefully marks the end of the goal drought of recent weeks.