Newcastle West Town Reserves defeat St Itas in Riedy Cup final

IT certainly has been a long season but that won’t bother Newcastle West Town Reserves as they claimed their third piece of silverware at Mick Hanley Park last Saturday night with a deserved 3-0 Riedy Cup final win over St Itas, recently promoted to the Premier Division for the very first time.
Indeed the Reserves will be strongly fancied to add the Richard Hogan Cup to the Riedy Cup as well as the Division Two league titles and the divisional league cup.
Early exchanges were even enough with both sides prepared to take a cautious approach to the game. All of this was almost thrown out the window when Itas went so close to a stunning opener on twelve minutes when a thirty five yard angled drive from Aaron Kelly thundered back off the woodwork. The Reserves were next to threaten when good work by
Jack Kelliher saw him play the ball in to Kevin O’Brien in the inside left channel but he dragged his attempt across goal and wide. Reserves centre half David Piedza then came to his side’s aid with a perfectly timed tackle as Eamon Carmody came through from midfield. The woodwork was struck for a second time when an Itas defender in attempting to clear the ball headed against his own post after a Tony Quaid corner on the right.
The first goal was going to be crucial and Itas came close when a Peter Mulcahy free kick out on the left was floated into the box where Reserves keeper Ethan Kirwin did well to eventually grab the ball in a congested area. Josh Joyce has been in fine goal scoring form all season and he nearly added to his tally after a cross came off an Itas defender into his path but couldn’t keep his attempt on target. Half time 0-0
Itas had an early chance three minutes into the second half but TJ Kelly’s well struck free kick in a central position was well held by keeper Kirwin. Number thirteen on the card was Prince Moyo and he came on for Mikey McNamara. Soon after Josh Joyce won his side a corner which Ita's keeper did well to deal with but only at the expense of another corner on the opposite flank. Again Quaid took it and it eventually came to the back post where lucky sub Prince finished to the net. An inspired substitution!
It looked like the Reserves would increase their lead after a good move involving Quaid and Jack Kelliher but defender Martin Mullane got back to take the ball off the line, but in any event it didn’t matter as a Reserve played had wandered offside. Aaron Kelly then blazed wide after being picked out by Anthony McCarthy.
The Reserves increased their lead on 81-minutes when young Joyce showed great maturity to plant a quality header to the net from another Quaid corner. Itas were finding it hard to make inroads against the well organised Reserves defence and the concession of the second goal made their task all the more difficult. It was very much the treble in the bag on eighty-seven minutes when great work by Joyce saw him beat two players on the right before pulling the ball back along the Itas penalty box where Quaid curled the ball first time into the top left corner.

NCW Town Reserves: Ethan Kirwin, Andrew Nix, Kieran O’Connell, David Piedza, Shane O’Connor, James O’Sullivan, Mikey McNamara, Josh Joyce, (12) Jack Kelliher, Tony Quaid, Kevin O’Brien. Subs Charlie Power, Seoirse Joyce, Chris Riedy, Patrick Noonan, prince Moyo, Darren Roche, Joe Mullenger
St Itas: Sean Richards, Ben Mulcahy, Martin Mullane, TJ Kelly, Sean Curtin, Peter Mulcahy, Eamon Carmody, Damien Brouder, Anthony McCarthy, Aaron Kelly, Jack Long. Subs PJ Bourke, Paul Fitzmaurice, Evan McMahon, Michael Nolan, Jack Hennessy, Padraig Sweeney, James Doyle.