Limerick Soccer - Aisling Annacotty win in FAI U-17 Cup

Pat Sheehan rounds up all the weekend junior soccer action in Limerick city.

FAI U-17 Cup

Aisling Annacotty 3

Carndonagh 3

(Aisling won 4-2 on pens aet)

Aisling Annacotty joined fellow Limerick side Regional Utd in the last eight of the FAI Under 17 Cup following a penalty shoot out victory over Donegal side Carndonagh at Annacotty on Sunday afternoon.

No doubting who was the hero for the winners as Josh Sayers emerged with a well taken hat trick as well as taking a successful kick in the penalty shoot out.

The Limerick side led 3-1 and seemed to be coasting to victory before the visitors, with a spirited comeback forced the game to extra time.

A rather sloppy opening 45 minutes in which chances were at a premium, gave no indication of a much livelier second half although the home side were denied by the woodwork twice following efforts from Evan O’Connor and Shane Hogan.

Aisling opened the scoring after the restart when Evan O’Connor was upended in the box and Josh Sayers converted for the spot.

The visitors regained parity but a fine strike from a free kick by Sayers restored Aisling’s advantage.

A near post finish by Sayers on 70 minutes put Aisling 3-1 in front but a rare defensive slip brought the Northerners back into the game and near the end they struck again to take the tie to extra time.

Two tired sides played out the extra 20 minutes but neither could find a breakthrough and in the shoot out successful kicks by Evan O’Connor, Corey Mooney Dara Neville and Sayers put Aisling into the hat for the last eight.

Aisling: Rob Sweeney, Corey Mooney, Cian Hessian, Darren Golden, Evan Prior, Josh Sayers, Evan O’Connor, Matt Killing, Jack Barry, Oisin Kelly, Shane Hogan, Res Dara Neville Conor Fleming, Kevin Gleeson

FAI YOUTH CUP

Regional Utd 1

Ballynanty Rvs 3

Ballynanty Rvs showed all their cup fighting qualities to reach the last 16 of the FAI Youth Cup following a 3-1 win over Regional Utd at UL grounds on Sunday afternoon.

Miserable conditions did little to help the standard but both sides gave it their all.

Balla had to endure some serious early pressure from a physically stronger Regional side but ten minutes from the break Zac Whelan’s delivery was knocked back by Liam Brock and Jamie Bromell raced through to open the scoring.

The introduction of Lloyd Whyte had the desired effect for Balla as he tacked on two further goals after the break to put the tie beyond Regional whose lone response came from Ed Valatka ten minutes from the end.

Regional Utd: Richard Hayes; Samar Mussafar; Sam Gleeson; Adam Coleman; Kyle Cotter; Declan Cusack; Yacouba Yabre; Stewart Barry; Liam McCartan; Byron Fitzgerald; Ger Fitzpatrick. Subs Ed Valatka

Ballynanty Rvs: Kieran Daly; Cian Nolan; Aaron Power; Ryan Earls; Gary Wyse; Liam Brock; James Cleary; Andrew Leydon; Shane Halpin; Jamie Bromell; Zac Hyland. Subs: Lloyd Whyte

YOUTH DIVISION 2

The battle for Youth Div Two took a new twist when leaders Holycross put one hand on the trophy with a 3-2 win over close rivals Mungret Reg. Sean Finn scored twice along with Don Leahy for the winners who need two wins from their last three games to be crowned champions.

Caledonians hit Aisling for five courtesy of Ray McManus, Wesley O’Sullivan, Aidan O’Brien, Craig Downes and Peter Holman.

TUOHY CUP

Geraldines 2

Summerville 3 (AET)

Meeting for the fourth time this season Summerville Rvs and Geraldines produced a classic cup fight in the quarter final of the Premier League’s Tuohy Cup before Summerville emerged victorious following 30 minutes of extra time.

Having already tasted defeat in the League, FAI and Munster Junior Cup to the Dines, Summerville were determined for a turnaround in fortunes and the fact they succeeded had as much to do with fortune as it had to do with a unselfish work ethic and determination that earned them a deserved victory.

Following a run of fine cup results, Geraldines were fancied to keep up their winning form but on an off day for the side they failed to match the intensity of their rivals and ultimately paid the price.

Geraldines had a chance to grab an early lead when a poor clearance was seized upon by Derek Daly but his delivery into the danger zone saw Steve Gibbons get a block in that saw the ball go inches wide of goal.

At the other end Darren O’Sullivan broke down the right and pulled the ball back for Robbie Kelleher whose right foot shot produced a superb save from ‘Dines keeper Stephen Walsh.

The deadlock was broken ten minutes from the break when Paul Fitzgerald’s delivery was not dealt with by the Summerville defence and when the ball fell kindly for Derek Daly he volleyed past the keeper from the edge if the area.

After the restart Ian O’Donoghue came close with a right foot shot from twenty yards and Paul Danaher headed just off target from a Derek Daly corner.

Summerville upped the tempo in search of an equaliser and on the hour mark Darren O’Sullivan came close but Dines keeper Stephen Walsh did well to get a hand to it.

Minutes later Gareth Creamer headed just wide from a Kelleher cross and Pat Koyce’s men got their reward eight minutes from when awarded a free kick on the edge of the area which Kelleher fired expertly over the wall into the net.

If Summerville thought they had their work done they were rocked back on their heels five minutes later when Geraldines raced back in front as Bobby Tiers pass was flicked on by Derek Hannon to Derek Daly who raced in to fire over the keeper.

An audacious attempt by Kelleher from the centre off flew just over the crossbar while Dines had a chance to wrap it up but Pat Moloney’s shot was well saved by Summerville keeper Mick Costello.

When it looked like ‘Dines had done enough Summerville showed their fighting spirit with a late equaliser. Darren O’Sullivan was allowed space inside the Dines area and while his initial shot was blocked by Ian Storan, he reacted quickest to fire home from a tight angle to send the game into extra time.

Darren O’Sullivan hit the post when he had a chance to wrap it up but it didn’t matter as the nearest ‘Dines went to an equaliser was a Christy O’Neill effort that was cleared off the line.

Summerville’s reward is a semi final clash with Ballynanty Rvs while Geraldines, tasting their first defeat since losing to Pike in the second game of the season back in August, need to dust this one off with some big games in the offing.

LAWSON CUP

Weston Villa 1

Carew Park 6

Carew Park qualified for a mouth watering 3rd round clash against Janesboro in the Lawson Cup following a comfortable 6-1 win over Weston Villa at a cold but dry University of Limerick on Saturday evening.

Weston arrived with high hopes of an upset but their hopes suffered a blow inside 15 seconds when a tame Evan Shine effort deflected beyond the despairing keeper to give the premier side the ideal start.

Most sides would feel deflated by such an early blow but Weston picked themselves up, and after Somers forced a corner, centre back Jason Croker rose highest to head in an equaliser.

Carew, with Darren Harrington and Pa Boyle beginning to dominate the midfield, quandered multiple chances to regain their lead before two goals in as many minutes, just before the half hour, from Jonathon Grant began to take the game away from Weston.

A floated free kick by Pa Boyle saw the centre forward flick over the onrushing keeper, before the same combination linked up to see Grant bend into the far corner.

The opening period of the second half saw little in the way of attacking action with both sides battling for possession. You felt that the fifth goal of the game was going to be crucial, and when it arrived the way of Carew Park, it all but ended the tie as a contest.

A deep corner from John O’Leary found Johnny Corbett and his pull back was gleefully dispatched by the inrushing Darren Harrington.

As with the first half, Carew struck again almost immediately when the sprightly Jonathon Somers raced clear before coolly clipping over the oncoming keeper.

Evan Shine tacked on a sixth late in the game to seal Carew Park’s safe passage.

Carew Park: Jamie Stewart, John O’Leary, Francis Kett, Johnny Corbett, Mark Keane, Jamie O’Sullivan, Darren Harrington, Pa Boyle, Evan Shine, Jonathon Grant, John Connery. SUBS: Jonathon Somers, Mark Slattery, Mark McGrath

OSCAR TRAYNOR CUP

Dublin AUL 2 Limerick DL 1

Limerick DL exited the Oscar Traynor Trophy when going down to holders Dublin AUL in the Capital on Sunday.

Conditions had a big bearing on proceedings restricting flowing football to a minimum while the loss of a batch of big names through injury further hampered Limerick’s hopes.

Limerick’s best chance of the game was a first half free kick from Balla’s Dermot Fitzgerald that produced a stunning save by the home keeper.

Scoreless at the break the home side had the wind at their back in the second half and kept the visitors penned into their own half.

The breakthrough came from a hotly disputed penalty kick but a second goal shortly after put paid to Limerick’s hopes of glory.

Limerick DL; Gary Neville, Dermot Fitzgerald, Eddie O’Donovan, Brian O’Callaghan, Pat Mullins, Jeffery Judge, Mike O’Gorman, Thomas Lyons, Bobby Tier, Pat Moloney, Christy O’Neill