Five Heroes!

When the chips are down, it always surprises me who are those folks who step up to the plate. And so it was last Saturday night at Windsor Park when it came to penalty shoot-out time. I and the rest of the 'Sports team were trying to second guess who our first five penalty takers would be and in all honesty I must say Archie and Kit Ramsay, were not two names that sprung to our minds. Kelbie was first on the list, then we expected probably Gazza (but he had been substituted)and Locky fell into the same boat also. Andy Smith would no doubt come into the equation and Noel Anderson also.

Our next suggestion would have been Albert, Aidy and/or Sparky. Then and only then, would the 20 year-olds have come into the fray, not in the cauldron of the first five, which had we scored we would've been in the final and not Portadown. But where were the great club-men who have been at our club for a wee while now, this was their time to come up with the goods and they failed us miserably. I realise that taking penalties isn't everyone's cup of tea, but when the chips are down, it's time to roll your sleeves up and get on with it. When volunteers were asked for only these five stepped forward and they were all heroes in my book.

Archie and Ramsay were willing to put their reputations on the line for the good of the team and they are to be commended for their bravery and commitment to the cause. To them and the three boys who scored, Kevin, Andy and Noel, myself and the Sky Blue Sports team say a big thank-you, you were there for us and in our eyes you'll always be heroes. We came within a whisker of making the final, it was a magnificent effort, but we just fell agonizingly short. Hopefully we'll live to fight another day, but if not at least you five players can hold your heads up high and say, 'we gave it our best shot' and after all that's all we can ask and the least we expect!