Juniors Lose Out on Penalties in FAI Cup   11/02/2014

Collinstown FC 0-0 Mervue Utd A (FAI Junior Cup 7th Rd)

Collinstown won 4-3 on penalties AET

The club’s Junior A team bowed out of the FAI Junior Cup in Dublin on Sunday afternoon as they failed to convert their chances against Collinstown who eventually advanced 4-3 in the penalty shootout after extra time also produced no goals in the game.

The home side played with a strong wind advantage in the opening half but it was Mervue who forced the game looking to breakdown a well marshalled home defence. Barry Moran headed and effort just over on 14 minutes from a Simon Walsh corner, while Tommy Walsh also went close with another headed effort just after.

Mervue captain Derek McWalter was forced to leave the action after 23 minutes after he suffered a head injury in the opening minute and couldn't continue as Dan Tuck replaced him with Simon Walsh moving to a more central role.

The visitors continued to play football against a strong breeze but were finding the home side's defence hard to breach as they defended in numbers in front of a large home crowd. Alan O'Donovan slipped a ball through for Moran five minutes before the break but home keeper Ross Costigan made the first of some vital blocks as he just got a touch on the ball outside the box before the striker.

Scoreless at the break and with the strong breeze no longer an issue having dissipated for the second period, Mervue were quick on the attack as Moran turned two defenders on the edge of the box but fired his effort straight at Costigan.

The home side threaten for almost the first time in the game on 72 minutes when the ball dropped to Dylan Clarke about 30 yards out and he fired a well struck volley just over Brian O'Donoghue's crossbar.

Mervue responded a minute later with Moran and Simon Walsh playing a neat one two in the home box, but Costigan produced a wonderful close range block from Moran. Costigan collected a Moran free-kick on 76 minutes as the visitors continued to push forward in search of a break through.

With extra time looming and the game in injury time the home side almost snatch a late late win as sub Anthony McCormack headed a corner back across the goals but David Dempsey headed over an open goal from six yards. Mervue sub Stephen Larkin fired high and over at the other end as Meath referee Conor Byrne brought an end to normal time with a further two periods of ten minutes now required.

Moran headed another Walsh near post delivery wide in the opening minutes of the first period of extra time before Costigan once again denied Mervue. Another corner delivery from Simon Walsh was eventually cleared to the edge of the box were Seamie Crowe fired a well struck effort goalwards but the home keeper produced the save of the afternoon with a flying save touching the ball up onto the crossbar.

Moran waited for the rebound but the ball just wouldnt drop for him as Costigan recovered to pluck the ball out of the air. Still scoreless heading into the final ten minutes of extra time and Moran once again tested Costigan as he held off centre half Damien Cuffe running onto Tommy Walsh's ball but the keeper came out on top again.

The home side's impressive left back, Dean Carpenter, got forward for a shot on 108 minutes but O'Donoghue got down low to push it away for a corner. Collinstown were reduced to ten men with a minute remaining as midfielder Daniel Matthews saw red for a two footed lunge on Stephen Larkin before Byrne blew up to send the game into the dreaded penalty shootout.

Penalty shootouts have not been lucky for Mervue Utd at any age group for some time now and Sunday's one proved no different as the home side's Carpenter, Mark O'Neill, sub Michael Scully and Damien Cuffe all converted as only Simon Walsh, Alan O'Donovan and Barry Moran found a way past Costigan who saved Seamie Crowe's final spot kick, while Steve Larkin crashed the first effort off the underside of the crossbar. 

Collinstown FC: Ross Costigan; Jamie Goonery (Michael Scully 109), Damien Cuffe, Matthew Cullen, Dean Carpenter; Ian McNeill, Daniel Matthews, Dylan Clarke, Mark O’Neill; David Dempsey, Gareth Brogan (A McCormack 66). 

Mervue Utd: Brian O’Donoghue, Darvin Dowling, Eric Browne, Rob Connolly, Tommy Walsh; Alan O'Donavan, Derek McWalter (Dan Tuck 23), Seamie Crowe, Simon Walsh; Barry Moran, Dara Ryan (Stephen Larkin 70).

Referee : Conor Byrne (Meath)





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