Oliver Fitzpatrick reports on the latest soccer action.
FAI Junior Cup Round 2
Ennis Town A 3-2 Corofin Harps (AET)
Ennis Town A advanced to round 3 of the FAI Junior Cup after defeating Corofin Harps in an entertaining contest at Lees Road on Sunday. Star performer for the home side was Joe Collins who scored a 90th minute equalizer and then struck the winning goal from a free kick in extra time.
There was little between the teams in the first half with Liam Carroll going close with an effort at the back post for Corofin and Gary Green having an effort cleared off the line by Dean Lee. Right on half time a well struck effort from Joe Collins from 25 yards heading to the top corner brought a great save out of David Phillips in the Corofin goal.
Surprisingly Corofin changed keepers at half time with Adam Crowe coming on for David Phillips. Ennis Town started the second half well and went in front with a good finish from Nicky Ryan.
Corofin responded with a great finish from Shane Constable into the bottom corner. Constable was causing the home side a lot of problems and another good run from him forced Ennis Town keeper Ethan Kelly into a foul just inside the box and referee Martin O’Brien awarded Corofin a penalty and issued Kelly a red card. Constable scored the penalty and it looked like Ennis Town now had a mountain to climb as Corofin took a 2-1 lead.
A very determined home side recovered well and put the visitors under a lot of pressure in the closing stages. Joe Collins forced Adam Crowe into making a great save with a fine effort from 25 yards on 85 minutes. With the clock hitting 90 minutes Collins picked up another ball outside the box and fired an unstoppable shot to the corner to level the match.
In the first half of extra time Ennis Town won a free kick outside the box and Collins stepped up and fired his shot past Crowe in the Corofin goal and earned Ennis Town a place in round 3.
Ennis Town A: Ethan Kelly, Steven Horgan, Sean Collins, Shane O’Connor, Eoin Keenan, Conor O’Brien, Rory Brennan, Joe Collins, Ciaran MacMathuna, Nicky Ryan, Gary Greene. Sub: Gary Walsh
Corofin Harps: David Phillips, Kevin Bane, Ronnie Meere, Dean Lee, John Keane, Darrell Bane, Alex De Silva, Jason Tierney, Abner Cordeiro, Shane Constable, Liam Carroll. Subs: Johnsey Bane, Chris Marshall, Hugh O’Donnell, Adam Crowe, Sean Hillary
Avenue Utd 1-0 Newcastlewest Rovers
Avenue Utd advanced to round 3 after a battling performance to defeat Newcastlewest Rovers at Roslevan on Sunday. Avenue started well and dominated the early exchanges. On 20 minutes Avenue got a great chance to go in front when a defender handled the ball in the area after good work from Gavin Cooney.
Mark Roche calmly slotted the ball into the corner from the penalty spot for a deserved lead for the home side. Newcastlewest came more into it after this and three injuries in the first half did not help Avenue’s cause as it remained 1-0 at the break.
Newcastlewest started the second half well and Barry Ryan had to be sharp on a number of occasions to cut out dangerous crosses into the box. Avenue were always dangerous on the break with Colin Smyth, Sean Doherty and Mark Roche causing the visitors a lot of problems. Newcastlewest threw everything at Avenue in the closing stages in search of an equalizer with late chances for Dara Tangney and Peter Shanahan narrowly missing the target as Avenue held on for the victory.
Avenue Utd A: Barry Ryan, David Herlihy, Shaun O’Flanagan, Conor Mullen, Kaylan O’Loughlin, Pa McDaid, Jamie Roche, Kieran Thynne, Ronan Kerin, Mark Roche, Gavin Cooney. Subs: Sean Doherty for Thynne (inj), Colin Smyth for Kerin (inj), Eamon O’Reilly for Mullen (inj), David O’Halloran for Roche
Newcastlewest Rovers: Kevin Lee, Peter Shanahan, Marty Madden, Eoin Murphy, Mike Mulcahy, Joey Healy, Paudie Kinahan, Darragh McCarthy, Seoirse Joyce, Noel Callanan, Shane Stack. Subs: Dara Tangney for McCarthy, Andrew Ruddle for Joyce
Shannon Olympic 5-4 Fenith Samphires
Shannon Olympic are starting to develop a bit of momentum after following up their win last week in the Munster Junior Cup with another win today against Fenit Saphires in the FAI Junior cup. The game started off with both teams pushing for the early lead, and although Olympic had the better chances the first goal fell to Fenit when they played a great ball in and was converted by their centre forward.
However was only two minutes later Fenit suffered an OG when a great ball forward to Ray Quigley had to be dealt with in the air by their defender and his header back accompanied by the pressure of Quigley saw it beat the Fenit keeper. From the restart both teams pushed for the next goal and finally on the 43rd minute Olympic got it when great build up play from the back found Ray Quigley who with great skill turned the Fenit defence and played a great pass to Sean Burke who made no mistake.
It remained 2-1 to Olympic at half time. Rachid Amallah picked up an injury and was replaced by Dean Courtney at half time. The second half kicked off and Fenit started brighter by scoring 3 minutes into the second half and shortly after the restart got their third on the 52nd minute. Olympic after great play and a lot chances found themselves 3-2 down but they rallied.
After an Olympic indirect free kick was cleared the ball the ball fell to Ray Quigley who played a great ball to the back post for David O’Flaherty to score and level the match 3-3. Olympic now started to dominate and got a deserved fourth when a great through ball by Sean Burke found the inform Ray Quigley who found the back of the Fenit net for his fifth goal in two games.
With 20 minutes of normal time left Wayne Regan made way for Wayne Ryan. Olympic now holding more invited Fenit by defending their one goal lead and hoping to capitalise on a counter attack, which on the 80th minute happened when the ball found Wayne Ryan who played a great through ball to Ray Quigley who got his second of the day.
Olympic then set on their lead and defended well until deep into injury time a set piece saw the ball find the top corner of the Olympic net for a consolation goal for the visitors as Olympic earned a deserved place in round 3.
Shannon Olympic: Pierce DeLoughrey, BJ Cantillon, David O Flaherty, Adrian Carew, Rory O’Connell, Wayne Regan, Derek Maxwell, Ryan Kelly, Rachid Amallah, Sean Burke, Ray Quigley. Subs: Dean Courtney for Rachid, Wayne Ryan for Wayne Regan, Jason Regan for Sean Burke
Inter Kenmare 2-3 Rineanna Rovers
Rineanna Rovers made the trip to Kerry on Sunday and came away with the victory after a late smash and grab to defeat their hosts Inter Kenmare. It was 2-1 to the home side as the game went into injury time. Paul Butler scoring for the visitors. Connor Sweeney then scored a 90th minute equalizer and deep into injury time Dion Khetan struck the all important winning goal.
Bridge Utd 3-2 Broadford Utd
A Kieran Quinlan hat-trick secured Bridge Utd’s passage to the FAI Junior Cup third round on Saturday evening in LIT.
Quinlan opened the scoring on 5 minutes when he blocked a defensive clearance and followed in to cooly slot past the Broadford keeper. His second came on the 35th minutes following great work by Eoghan Pewter down the right providing the assist to Quinlan to tap home at the back post.
The visitors got back in the game on the 60th minutes from the penalty spot. The goal came during a very strong period for the guests so it was very important for Bridge to reply. That reply came on 65 minutes when Okoro was taken down in the box when through on goal. Quinlan stepped up to restore the 2 goal advantage with his 7th goal of the campaign.
Broadford refused to lie down however and reduced the deficit once again on 78 minutes. In a frantic last 10 minutes the hosts had great opportunities through Brian O’Connor and Derek Fahy to put the game to bed but held on in the end for a deserved victory against the strong Desmond League opponents.
Bridge Utd: Paul Touhy, Jay Whyte, Eoin Guinan, Darren Murphy, Kevin Kelly, Alan Mulready, Darragh Fitzgerald, Gavin Whyte, Eoghan Pewter, Jon Okoro, Kieran Quinlan Subs: Derek Fahy for Okoro, Trevor Maxwell for Pewter, Brian O’Connor for Quinlan, Sean McDonald for Fitzgerald, Jonathan Downes for G Whyte
First Division League
Lifford A 2-4 Mountshannon Celtic
An irresistible 20 minute salvo of goals saw visitors Mountshannon take a formidable grip of this First Division fixture whilst it was still in its infancy. After 10 minutes, a direct throw was flicked on by Oran Scanlan into the path of Michael O’Brien who set himself before coolly converting.
This early lead was doubled five minutes later when Michael Barrett regained possession deep into Lifford territory and slotted neatly into the bottom right corner of the home net. On 20 minutes, the visitors further boosted their advantage when an outswinging Martin Cunningham cross from the right was headed accurately into the top right corner by the leaping William Glass.
Soon after, Oran Scanlan raced onto a pass into the right channel and fired across goal from 15 yards to give the visitors a dominant grip on the scoreline. However, the hosts did muster a response when they notched just before the interval. A half cleared set piece fell to a red shirt 25 yards from goal before being venomously rifled into the top left corner.
The Ennis side turned the screw in stages of the second period, creating a number of opportunities. A combination of resolute defending, strong goalkeeping from Andrew O’Dwyer and the crossbar meant Lifford were left frustrated for the majority of the half. They managed one consolation strike ten minutes from time when a long kick was hooked across the visitors’ area and headed home from close range.
However, the clinical nature of Mountshannon’s attacks in the opening half hour meant they left Cassidy Park with the three valuable points.
Mountshannon Celtic: Andrew O’Dwyer, Stephen McSweeney, Michael Scanlan, John Scanlan, Martin Cunningham, Cathal Moloney, Michael O’Brien, Michael Barrett, Niall Minogue, William Glass, Oran Scanlan. Subs: Lukas Trocewicz for Minogue, Colm Kavanagh for Cunningham
Selprint Second Division
Connolly Celtic 5-3 West Clare FC
Connolly Celtic made it five wins from five games in the Second Division after defeating West Clare FC in a high scoring game at Kilmaley School on Sunday. Connolly scorers were Brian Connellan, Aiden Kennedy (2), Eoin Fitzgerald from a penalty and Jason Devitt.
Suttons Lighting Third Division
Inch Crusaders 2-1 Bunratty/Cratloe
Inch Crusaders got back to winning ways with a well earned 2-1 win over Bunratty Cratloe at Lees Road on Sunday. Inch took the lead on the half hour mark when Thiago Santana beat two defenders and finished to the bottom corner. Bunratty Cratloe drew level on 60 minutes after a sustained period of pressure. Inch took the lead with 15 minutes left after James Kileen was brought down in the box and Santana made no mistake from the penalty spot.
Inch Crusaders: Thiago Horato, James Rynne, Eoghan Grace, Emmet Pyne, Ronan Grace, Eoghan Culligan, James Kileen, Thiago Santana, Brenno Henrique, Oran Killeen
Bunratty Cratloe: Eoin O’Kelly, Thomas Fleming, Abba Ado, Mikey Keogh, Brendan O’Neill, Aidan Clancy, Rory McBeth, Caimin Deegan, Ghanesh Devkova, Dave Foley, Ahmed Zalhf Sub: David Quinn for Devkova
