F.A.I. FORD SENIOR CUP 2nd Round
TRALEE DYNAMOS 1 ST. MARYS (Cork) 0
Padraig Harnett, Tralee Dynamos Media Officer
Oh What a Day, oh What a Day!’ is the song that will be ringing in the ears of the Dynamos players and management for weeks to come following this superb, but hard fought win over St Mary’s in the second round of the FAI Ford Cup.
The game was played on a perfect pitch with very little wind and if there was one negative it was the small crowd but those who attended were treated to an excellent game and those that missed it missed a historic occasion.
St Mary’s started very quickly and in the first minute JP O’Sullivan’s dangerous cross led to Maurice O’Rahilly having to make an important clearing header.
Less than a minute later Garreth Cambridge set up Adain Myhod who shot over.
Mary’s were putting great pressure on Dynamos all over the field even with the home side playing five in the middle and Owen Cassidy up front on his own.
Chris Kerins went on a good run a few minutes later and was fouled but James Sugrue’s free kick came to nothing.
Dynamos were beginning a grip in the middle of the field and in the 9th minute Eddie Duggan had the first real shot on target. The pressure continued with two frees and a corner, the latter being finger-tipped away with the Dynamos big guns queuing up to head home.
It wasn’t all Dynamos and from a St Mary’s corner in the fifteenth minute the ball fell to Darren Hill about 35 yards out and he met it sweetly but luckily for Dynamos it just went the wrong side of the post.
Maurice O’Rahilly was called on to stop Paul Feehan and Guthrie held a Garreth Cambridge shot as both sides probed.
The best chance of the opening spell came in the 25th minute when Adrian Quirke set up Eddie Duggan who got free inside the box but just pulled his shot wide.
Chris Kerins thought he was in on goal a few minutes later and good play between Cassidy and Jamie McIntyre but the flag went up.
However Dynamos were getting closer and in the 29th minute Eddie Duggan and Darren Crotty, who was very impressive on the day, played a neat one two and when Duggan shot the keeper could only push it behind with his feet for a corner.
In what is becoming a regular occurrence
Dynamos went in front from the set piece. Sugrue’s perfectly floated corner
found the head of Eoin Cassidy and he powerfully headed home. 1-0 to
In the 37th minute St Mary’s had a dangerous free kick just to the right of the Dynamos box but the wall held firm and on the breakaway Sugrue found Cassidy but he was off-side. To be fair to the St Mary’s keeper he didn’t know this and made a very good reflex save to close out the first half.
Both sides started the second period
brightly with Cassidy heading over for Dynamos and Guthrie doing well to hold a
Jonathan Coaker shot after he was set up by
Back came Dynamos and Kerins, Duggan, Sugrue combined but Cassidy shot over while Chris Kerins forced the Mary’s keeper into another save.
In the 18th minute Brian Fitzgerald went on a great run, leaving three players in his wake and he set up Crotty who again was just off target.
Back came St Mary’s and Coaker had a good chance but his effort skimmed the top of the Dynamos cross-bar.
Darren O’Riordan came on for Andrew Myhod and his long throws caused a few moments of panic in the Dynamos defence. To be fair to Guthrie his handling was excellent as was his foot work, even if he did make his management miss a few heartbeats when taking on players in the box!
The big talking point of the game came in the 34th minute. Coaker got in a low cross which was met by John Paul O’Sullivan. Guthrie came to the verge of his six yard box to narrow the angle and got in a good block. The ball rebounded off him and was heading towards the line when the keeper grabbed it again. However Mary’s were convinced it had crossed the line. They headed in a pack to confront Assistant Referee Stuart Templeman who was in no doubt that the ball hadn’t crossed the line.
Joanthan Coaker continued his protest and he ‘crossed the line’ and Referee Kevin O’Regan had no choice but to show him the red card.
To be fair to St Mary’s they again tried to up their game, even with ten men and forced Dynamos back. They forced a couple of corners and free kicks but the Dynamos rear-guard never looked like conceding and for the last few minutes played out the game deep in Mary’s territory.
The final whistle blew and it was greeted with joyous scenes as it meant the Tralee Dynamos were now into the third round of the FAI Cup, the round of 32 along with the Premier and First Division teams.
The question on everyone’s lips – who would they draw?
The Teams:
Tralee Dynamos: Wayne Guthrie, Jonathan Burrows, Darren Crotty, Brian Fitzgerald, Maurice O’Rahilly, Adrian Quirke, James Sugrue, Chris Kerins, Eoin Cassidy, Jamie McIntyre, Eddie Duggan.
Subs: Adrian McHugh (on for Cassidy 75 minutes), Ivan Maher, Billy Stack, Peter McCarthy and Timmy Cotter.
St Mary’s: Stuart Coakley, Darren Hill, John Murphy, Adain O’Callaghan, Anthony O’Callaghan, Andrew Myhod, Garreth Cambridge, Mark O’Sullivan, Jonathan Coaker, John Paul O’Callaghan, Paul Feehan.
Subs: Darren O’Riordan (on for Andrew Myhod), Kenneth Daly, Garry Aherne, Damien Morey, Brian Barry, Victor Myhod.
GOAL
PIC 1: Eoin Cassidy (no. 9) gets a yard on his man.
GOAL
PIC 2: Eoin Cassidy's header ends up in the net despite the best efforts of St.
Mary's
Special
guests Kingdom Boys Under 15's who won the cup the previous day with Adrian
McHugh & Billy Stack
Fenit
Connection: Denny Quirke & Glen McCarthy enjoying another Dynamos win.
Kingdom Boys double winning Under 15 team introduced to the crowd at half time:
Kingdom Boys under 15 team have had a great season, narrowly loosing out in the last eight of the National Cup but then going on to record a league and cup double in Kerry.
Indeed this is nothing new for this team as they have had great success at under 13 and 14 as well.
Speaking to some of the players, including Uros Ivkovic, Aaron Houlihan, Darren O’Brien they were delighted with the way the season finished but feel they have unfinished business. There major priority for next season, to a man, is to win that elusive National Cup title.
3RD ROUND DRAW LIVE ON MONDAY NIGHT SOCCER LIVE ON RTE AT 8.00P.M. 25TH MAY