Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough says he was impressed by Coleraine teenager Patrick Kelly in Sunday’s League Cup final at Windsor Park.
Kelly was on the losing side as Cliftonville ran out 4-3 winners after extra-time, but the young midfielder produced a vibrant performance in his first ever showpiece.
Hard to believe the Portstewart native, who made his Coleraine debut in September and was recently linked with English League One club Sunderland, is still only 17.
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Baraclough, who was part of Sky’s punditry team for Sunday’s final, said: “Patrick Kelly played for Coleraine yesterday and I thought he did superbly as a 17-year-old in a cup final.
“He wasn’t overawed by it and he’ll be better for the experience even though he was on the losing side.”
Baraclough was also pleased to see former Northern Ireland U21 player Chris Gallagher and current U21 star Paul O’Neill shine for Cliftonville in the final.
Gallagher started in midfield while O’Neill scored two goals, including a crucial 91st minute equaliser to force extra-time, after coming off the bench.
“It’s great to see all these young lads having great seasons for their clubs and developing their own CVs,” he said.
“They want to progress and get better, play for the international team, but first they have to play well for their clubs.”
On the final itself, which was played in front of a record 11,103 attendance, Baraclough said: “I think the game as a spectacle showed what’s really good about the Northern Irish league.
“The first half was always going to be a cagey affair, but in the second half and extra-time the game opened up. I thought it was superb for the 11,000 crowd and everyone watching on TV.”
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