FC BRNESC have defeated Mersey Harps Seconds 3-1 in the 2023/24 Centenary Cup Final, holding off waves of pressure from the Irish side late on to secure victory.

Joe Matthews reporting....

BRNESC Manager, Carl Hill, said: “I thought the lads were brilliant. We’re obviously a League 2 side, and we’ve beat a Premiership side and three Championship sides, so I’m really impressed with the lads and couldn’t have asked for any more for them.”

Hill also spoke about his shock at their cup win, saying: “I remember when we drew the Premiership side earlier on in the first round and I said we are going to get beaten 10-0.

“Then when we beat them, we believed that if we play like we can, we can give everyone a game from all four divisions. We’ve got players playing out of position, we’ve got a couple missing with injuries and suspensions, but I thought every one of them was brilliant.”

Harps Manager, Daniel McGonigle, said: “The first 20 minutes undid us and then we had an uphill battle. The lads battled hard, and I thought we played some brilliant football after those first 20 minutes to really put BRNESC under pressure.”

“Unfortunately, we just didn’t have enough to do it today which is disappointing, but there always has to be a losing team at the end of the day, doesn’t there?”

BRNESC scored two in quick succession early on; one being a nice lob over the Harps’ keeper when perhaps a few players had thought it would be ruled offside.

Then ensued a long period, extending through both halves, of intense pressure on the BRNESC defense. 10 minutes after half-time, Kevin McCloskey clawed one back to give them hope, but after repelling waves of attack, BRNESC went back down the other end deep into added time, and made it three, ensuring the Centenary Cup was theirs.

In the second of a three-game football festival, it is League 2 BRNESC who take home possibly the only ever Centenary Cup.