FOOTBALL: ELLIOTT'S THE BOY THUNDER!

TEENAGER Stuart Elliott, born in the shadow of the shipyard, became a truly local hero at the Oval.

It was the 19-year- old's sweet left foot that eased Glentoran into the Irish Cup quarter-finals.

And the thunderous roars that greeted his two goals were heard loud and clear in the family home.

But Stuart confesses he never intended knocking in the dramatic winner six minutes from the whistle.

"We practice whipping across fast free-kicks, hoping somebody will get a touch," he explains. "That's what I did when we got an award 30 yards out.

"Paul Leeman tried to make contact, seemed to unsight their keeper Wes Lamont and the ball tucked inside the far post."

There was absolutely nothing fluky about Stuart's opener ten minutes into the tie. After rounding Paul Gaston at the edge of the box, the youngster spotted Lamont off his line and chipped to perfection.

It brought glowing praise from Oval manager Roy Coyle, who says: "It was a special goal from a 19-year-old with rare vision.

"Stuart won caps at Under-18 level and his education is coming on rapidly."

Coleraine went to East Belfast as distinct outsiders. They had been hammered and demoralised in the Cup rehearsal seven days earlier.

But there was infinitely more steel in Kenny Shiels' people second time round.

They bounced back from Elliott's opener in only four minutes. With Glentoran showing signs of that old panic under pressure, Pat McAllister belted a close-range shot through a wall of bodies into the net.

They had it all to do again just before half time when Glentoran added a spectacular second. Leeman scampered down the right, crossed well and John Kennedy ended a long run forward with a superb strike.

Yet Coleraine were all square once more inside 60 seconds.

This time veteran Scot Willie Jamieson did his own advancing to get on the end of a corner kick and volley brilliantly.

It was only in the final dozen minutes that Coleraine lost the plot. Perhaps they were thinking of a replay for shutters clearly went up.

As Glentoran forced corner upon corner, Shiels' men became strangely reluctant to step outside their own box.

And, inevitably, they paid the price for giving away the game.

"We found ourselves facing increasing wind and sleet," points out Kenny. "It was certainly a factor. And I had four players operating on pain killers.

"The way things are going for Glentoran they will probably win the European Cup.

"They had two shots and a cross yet finished with three goals.

"I'm very sorry for my players who gave so much for nothing. But we'll be back."

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Title Annotation:	Sport
Author:	Clark, Bill
Publication:	Sunday Mirror (London, England)
Date:	Feb 22, 1998
Words:	440
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