BANTAMS NOSTALGIA: When McCartan free-kick stunned Swindon

SHAY McCartan is currently the most expensive player in Irish League history.

A summer move from Ballymena to Glentoran for a record £100,000 has put the former Bantam on a pedestal.

But ahead of this weekend’s clash with Swindon, we revisit a priceless moment he delivered in City colours on their last visit to the County Ground.

McCartan’s time at Valley Parade was a mixed bag – struggling to live up to his set-piece reputation from Accrington and then spending a year on loan with Lincoln.

He left West Yorkshire for his native Northern Ireland in the summer of 2020 with eight goals to his name.

One stands out from the rest.

It was the occasion when that set-piece finesse that lured City into spending good money to take him from Stanley really clicked into gear when it mattered.

Swindon away has usually brought little joy for the Bantams, whose last triumph there was inspired by the evergreen duo of Dean Windass and Steve Claridge in 2005.

They had lost four visits on the bounce going into the most recent meeting between the sides on the opening weekend of 2020.

The pandemic was still something buried away deep in the news, City were in fourth spot on the back of successive scrappy wins. It wasn’t pretty under Gary Bowyer but it was proving effective.

Leaders Swindon at their place was the acid test – the Eoin Doyle “rivalry” just added spice.

Doyle, still technically a City player while banging in goals for fun in Wiltshire, was not allowed to play. He stayed at home to avoid any questions about a conflict of interest.

All the talk and pre-match focus had been on his future and what would happen in the window.

He was the story, or so it seemed. But there was another Irishman ready to rewrite the headlines.

McCartan had dropped to the bench after starting both victories in the previous weekend.

In came Callum Cooke and Chris Taylor with Paudie O’Connor also dropping out as namesake Anthony dropped back to centre half after a spell as the midfield holder.

A pragmatic gameplan, something we became accustomed to during Bowyer’s year in charge, threatened to fall apart at the seams when they fell behind in a sloppy start.

City looked off the pace and soon trailed when Connor Wood handled Lloyd Isgrove’s cross in the box. With the regular penalty taker in self-imposed quarantine, Doyle’s strike partner Jerry Yates banged in his 11th goal of the season.

That shook the visitors who began to emerge from their shell. Taylor should have done after picking up a loose pass and eluding two Swindon challenges only to shoot wide from just inside the box.

Shay McCartan's late strike made it worth the journey for the 400 City away fans

City had another half-chance before the half was up as a scrambled corner saw O’Connor jab against the foot of the post.

There was definitely something for them in the game as the hosts grew uncertain.

McCartan appeared for the closing stages – and then came his opportunity. First Aramide Oteh and then Adam Henley were bundled over outside the Swindon D in the same incident.

This was prime range for the Accrington McCartan but could he finally make it count with City? Clinton Morrison certainly didn’t think so.

The former Republic of Ireland international was watching the live feed as a pundit on Sky’s Soccer Saturday panel and did not think much of McCartan’s chances.

Morrison commented on McCartan standing Cristian Ronaldo-style over the ball and made a disparaging comparison between the two.

But he was quickly eating his words as the substitute bent a majestic free-kick into the top corner of the net.

“Five minutes before that goal I went on a run, crossed with my left foot and nearly skied it out the stadium!” laughed a modest McCartan afterwards. “You come on and try to make an impact for the team and I’m so glad I did.”

Swindon’s frustration then boiled over with a red card for Jordan Lyden as City banked a point that looked a significant one in the promotion picture. Not that it turned out that way.

A month later and Bowyer was gone as the fan frustration boiled over following a string of listless away defeats – a month after that Covid kicked in and the campaign was stopped with City drifting to ninth while Swindon went up for one season.

McCartan was among the players released by Stuart McCall and headed back to Ireland where he scored 21 goals for Ballymena to earn his move. He is yet to open his Glentoran account in six attempts.

SWINDON: Benda, Caddis, Hunt, Fryers (Broadbent 41), Rose, Grant, Isgrove (May 87), Lyden, Jaiyesimi (Doughty 76), Yates, Woolery.

CITY: O’Donnell, Henley, A O’Connor, Richards-Everton, Wood, Palmer, Reeves (Oteh 59), Connolly, Cooke, Taylor (McCartan 73), Vaughan.