Wilkinson Sword League Cup 1997

Final Score Glentoran 9 Dungannon Swifts 2

Kirk Beams Up Swifts

Teenage tearaway Andy Kirk stamped his class with four glorious goals in last night's Wilkinson Sword League Cup canter at the Oval.

It required the 18 year old's vision to help the Glens out of freefall during a sloppy opening to last nights second round. The Swifts did not look out of place and ran the show for a lengthy period. The new First Division side gained rich reward in the 21st minute when Kevin Bates shot them into a surprise lead.

For a period it seemed a shock might be on the cards but up stepped up strapping Kirk to put everything into perspective. Darren Parker and Rory Hamill combined to release Kirk in the 29th minute and the teenager buried the ball into the roof of the net. It was his third goal of the season and he grabbed he grabbed the lead six minutes later with a neck twisting header.

Two minutes from the interval Dungannon's hopes were quickly plunging down the pan when John Kennedy's cross was squeezed in at the back post by a Hamill header.

It was now the Glens in full flight and on 49 minutes the goal of the game. It was a peach of a shot by Long haired Steven Livingstone. He unloaded a right foot screamer from 35 yards. The pressure continued and on the hour ice cool Kirk picked up a clever through ball from Phillip Mitchell to drill a low leftfooter into the corner of the net.

Stuart Elliott then got in on the act to finish off a rebound when Kirk's effort was blocked. Elliott added another on 78 minutes and with five minutes remaining Kirk headed home substitute McCourt's cross. Dungannon broke from the kick off and Bates went solo to drill the ball past the advancing Armstrong in the 86th minute. Seconds later Hamill scored an astonishing goal, rifiling an angled right footer.

Teams

Glentoran- Armstrong, Nixon, Kennedy, Walker, Devine, Parker, Livingstone, Mitchell, Kirk, Hamill, Elliott, Subs-McCourt for Mitchell, Mathieson for Parker, Leeman for Nixon

Dungannon Swifts- Saunders, Haire, Booth, Clarke, Jeremy, Robinson, Jim Robinson, O'Hagan, Montgomery, Bates, McKinstry, Duke, Subs-Birney, McKerr, Larkin

Referee Herbie Barr