Magical Vegas FC vs Regent Rovers
3 - 0
23 March 2017 · Ken Doherty Memorial Cup
Home cup match played on 23 March 2017.
Kicked off at 6:00 PM
3-0
vs Regent Rovers
Home cup match
Magical Vegas put in a performance of real maturity against current holders of the Ken Dougherty Memorial Cup, Regent Rovers, in a 3-0 win to make the semi-finals.
The game began in daylight and had a real lack of intensity during the opening 10minutes. Perhaps the teams were waiting for the dusk to become night and the floodlights to light their imagination.
Vegas started the game in a recently tested 3-4-1-2 formation with Tarik Allag, Nick Loblack and Hussein Hussein propping up and attacking side with Patrick Moore Jones behind Paul Reid and Ricardo Beckford. Although unfamiliar, they looked at ease with the formation and controlled possession and territory in the opening exchanges. When a Regent CB took too long on the ball, Moore Jones blocked his clearance and ran at goal with the loose ball. As he cut back inside the desperate lunge of the recovering defender he was taken down for a clear penalty - which he despatched in off the left-hand post for 1-0.
As the second half wore on a good save from Mathew Summers kept the score at nil nil after a great effort from a Rover set-piece. However, Vegas could have extended their lead if they had been a little better with their final pass in the final third.
At half-time they knew that they desperately needed the second goal to give themselves more of a cushion.
Despite playing poorly and regularly not finding the correct way out of situations, a wonderful through ball from Reid released Beckford. He calmly tapped the ball round him for his first and Vegas' second of the game. Within five minutes the game was over when Moore Jones fired a ball in the direction of more great movement from Beckford. Still with plenty to do and on his weaker foot, Beckford lifted his head and fired a rasping strike into the far corner of the net with his first touch.
Substitutions broke up the rhythm of the game from then on and Vegas didn't hold on to the ball well enough. However, they held on for an important win against the current holders of the cup to move into the semi-finals.