Frustrating week of results for Wakehurst

Earlier in the week, wastefulness in front of goal meant that Wakehurst were held to a 3-3 draw after extra-time by Sport and Leisure Swifts, with the west Belfast side eventually winning 5-4 on penalties to set up a meeting with Premiership side Glenavon in the next round.

“It was arguably harder to take than Saturday’s result,” Gregg told Times Sport.

“The match should never have reached penalties and the players know that but it was one of those games where the longer it went on and the more chances we missed, you began to think ‘we’re going to get mugged here’ and that’s exactly what happened.

Jason Paul (2) and Conor Gregg scored Wakehurst’s goals in an eventful game in which an injury to the referee resulted in a long delay, meaning that the penalty shootout took place in near darkness!

Wakehurst didn’t look to be suffering from any cup hangover on Saturday as they raced into a two-goal lead against Banbridge Town, who were relegated from Championship One last season.

The Ballymena men took the lead on 26 minutes when Lee McCaughern’s cross from the left was headed firmly home by Conor Gregg, with the aid of a slight deflection.

Wakehurst’s second goal 12 minutes after the break came from an unlikely source as defender Ricky Culbertson, on a foray from the back, outjumped keeper Maguire to head home.

Banbridge pulled a goal back but when they were reduced to 10 men following a two-footed challenge on Jason Paul, it appeared that Wakehurst would see out the result.

Not so, however, as Banbridge equalised and but for a fine save by keeper Marc Maybin late on, Wakehurst would have snatched a defeat from the jaws of victory.

“We certainly shot ourselves in the foot in both matches this week.

“Against Banbridge, we lost concentration and made individual mistakes but I see Premier League footballers on TV, boys on £100,000 per week, make mistakes.

“The sending off actually seemed to help Banbridge because they had nothing to lose at that stage and just threw everything at us,” added Gregg, whose side have a tough assignment this Saturday when they travel to early-season pacesetters Armagh City.

Wakehurst: M Maybin, M Crawford, S McIlroy, D Stevenson, R Culbertson, A Laughlin, L McCaughern, S Mellon, C Gregg, J Paul, R Gregg. Subs: D Alexander, D Gage, D Paul, C Warren, R Young.

Wakehurst extends best wishes for a speedy recovery to Andy Erwin who sustained a broken ankle on Saturday, while playing for the club’s reserve team, Wakehurst Star, in the Saturday Morning League.