Seaford Rock United
  • Home
  • News
  • Teams
    • Major
    • Premier
    • Training
  • Players
    • Goalkeepers >
      • Oisin Geoghegan
      • Luke Ginnell
      • Neil Howarth
    • Fullbacks >
      • Steve Kane
      • Paul Tansey
      • Darragh Roche
      • David Mackey
      • Gavin Walsh
      • Zitian Xiang
      • Brian Murphy
      • Eoin McArdle
    • Centre Backs >
      • Eoin Mahon
      • Ian Nolan
      • Oli Wright
      • Guy King-Hall
      • Dave Lewis
      • Eoin Healy
      • Eoin Dunne
      • Rob Maloney
    • Central Midfielders >
      • Al Kennedy
      • Mate Salacan
      • Sam Browne
      • Michael O'Neill
      • Jim Nolan
      • Killian Campion
      • Elridge Valois
      • Owen Brayden
      • Ciaran Staunton
      • Dan Kennedy
      • Craig Conlon
      • Rob O'Shea
      • Alex Meany
      • Conor Geoghegan
      • Jack Burke
      • David Higgins
      • Jimmy Hussey
      • Rory O'Huiginn
      • David Freeman
    • Wingers >
      • Chris Monk
      • MJ Tierney
      • Conor Fennell2
      • Niall Holleran
      • Lewis Cawley
      • Aaron Clarke
      • Desmond Eiffe
      • Eoin Kenny
      • Brian Mullally
      • Joe O'Hara
      • Alejandro Vergara
    • Forwards >
      • Collie Barrett
      • Ryan Scollard
      • Stephen Canavan
      • Francis Mulhall
      • Shane Halpin
      • Shane Gilroy
      • Jamie McCaul
  • Social
  • History
    • 2021/2022
    • 2019/2020
    • 2018/2019
    • 2017/2018
    • 2016/2017
    • 2015/2016
    • 2014/2015
    • 2013/2014
    • 2012/2013
    • 2011/2012
    • 2010/2011
    • 2009/2010
    • 2007/2008
    • Earlier >
      • 1970-1979
      • 1980-1989
      • 1990-1999
      • 2000-2009
    • Modern Legends A-K >
      • John Bannon
      • Jamie Brennan
      • Darragh Connolly
      • Garrett Connolly
      • Paddy Costello
      • Robbie Creevy
      • David Devaney
      • Collie Dolan
      • Carl Doyle
      • Harry Crowe
      • Niall Duff
      • Stephen Faherty
      • Caoimhin Fahy
      • Adam Finnegan
      • Mike Frawley
      • Mark Hanratty
      • Neil Harrington
      • Amer Herenda
      • Fionn Geoghegan
      • Dan Kiely
      • Barry Kirwan
    • Modern Legends L-Z >
      • Donal Larkin
      • Mark Lawless
      • Fionn Lawlor
      • Paul Lydon
      • Barry Lyons
      • Stephen Kelly
      • Cian McGuinness
      • Ian MacHugh
      • Kohei Masaki
      • Paul McPhillips
      • Robbie Moran
      • Mick Murray
      • Paul O'Regan
      • Stephen Nolan
      • John Power
      • Stephen Robinson
      • Andy Roe
      • Barry Shortt
      • Mark Sullivan
      • Matthew Tappin
  • Contact

Classic Seaford Matches #1: Seaford Rock 3-4 Liffey Wanderers

21/3/2020

0 Comments

 
Seaford Rock United 3-4 Liffey Wanderers (a.e.t.)
Tom Cullen Cup
8 April 2015
Rockfield Park
A valiant defeat on a night of Shakespearean tragedy in Blackrock.
 
Not many classic Seaford matches result in a Seaford defeat, but few have ever borne witness to so much pathos, farce and folklore as this Cullen Cup quarter final.
 
It shouldn’t have even been close. Liffey Wanderers, doyens of amateur football in the capital, were in the midst of an extraordinary rampage through the Leinster Senior League.  which saw them win sixth successive promotions to reach the summit of the non-league game in Ireland. Back in 2015, they were making light work of the division above Seaford, winning 18 of their first 21 matches, and were a few weeks away from their ultimate success: winning the FAI Junior Cup at the Aviva Stadium.
 
Seaford, on the other hand, were In a deep pit of despair. Mired in a relegation battle, the previous fortnight had seen them take hidings in consecutive hidings against Rathmichael Shankill and Ballyoulster United – worldbeaters neither – conceding eight without scoring any. The cup tie had been scheduled awkwardly for Seaford, on a Wednesday evening to accommodate the visitors’ fixture list, and key players Caoimhin Fahy, Mark Hanratty, Paul Murphy and Mark Sullivan were all ruled out.  Privately, the objective  within the camp was to keep the score down and concentrate on a vital relegation six-pointer against Jobstown the following Sunday.
 
No surprise therefore that after a confident start, Liffeys took an early lead. But Seaford hit back inside the first quarter of hour courtesy of a brilliant finish from Harry Crowe. The beanpole striker controlled a long clearance by keeper Edd Ryan before nutmegging a defender and sending keeper Philip O’Connor the wrong way.
 
From then on, Liffeys were lacklustre, and Seaford inspired. Mike O’Neill and Rory O’Huiginn were tireless in midfield, driving Seaford on, while Collie Dolan buzzed in front of them and Crowe occupied the Wanderers defence with his superb aerial ability and adhesive first touch. A couple of vital saves from Ryan maintained parity – until the 82nd minute. Seaford won a free kick on the edge of the box. With the regular free-taker Hanratty unavailable, Stephen Kane grabbed the ball, and curled an unstoppable strike into the top corner. Bedlam ensured. Kane fatefully removed his shirt in celebration., causing the referee to produce a second yellow card of the match.
 
Heartbreakingly, the Liffeys response was instant. From a free kick of their own on the edge of the box, they worked a clever training ground routine, enabling Danilo de Souza to make it 2-2.
 
Into extra time, and for Seaford’s remaining ten, the task was more daunting than ever. The visitors made it 3-2 almost immediately. From a break down the left, a back-post cross was stabbed goalwards, taking a cruel deflection before finding the corner, despite Ryan’s brilliant effort to keep it out. Another break, this time down the right, led to a fourth for the visitors.
 
And yet Seaford kept going. In the second period of extra time,  Sullivan - fit enough only for a place on the bench - nicked the ball off a defender and finished brilliantly from range to bring it back to within one goal. In one final siege on the Liffeys goal, Seaford were sure they’d earned a penalty when O’Connor manhandled Matty Tappin, but amidst chaotic scenes the referee’s whistle signified only the end of the match.
 
It was, at least, a heartening performance from Seaford.  A win over Jobstown the following Sunday proved a big step towards safety, even if the team somewhat stumbled over the line, losing their last three fixtures and beating the drop only due to their rivals’ failings. Liffeys, for their part, saw their cup run ended in the semi-finals by Tullamore Town, again after extra time. One suspects that cup exit doesn’t live as long in the memory.
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • News
  • Teams
    • Major
    • Premier
    • Training
  • Players
    • Goalkeepers >
      • Oisin Geoghegan
      • Luke Ginnell
      • Neil Howarth
    • Fullbacks >
      • Steve Kane
      • Paul Tansey
      • Darragh Roche
      • David Mackey
      • Gavin Walsh
      • Zitian Xiang
      • Brian Murphy
      • Eoin McArdle
    • Centre Backs >
      • Eoin Mahon
      • Ian Nolan
      • Oli Wright
      • Guy King-Hall
      • Dave Lewis
      • Eoin Healy
      • Eoin Dunne
      • Rob Maloney
    • Central Midfielders >
      • Al Kennedy
      • Mate Salacan
      • Sam Browne
      • Michael O'Neill
      • Jim Nolan
      • Killian Campion
      • Elridge Valois
      • Owen Brayden
      • Ciaran Staunton
      • Dan Kennedy
      • Craig Conlon
      • Rob O'Shea
      • Alex Meany
      • Conor Geoghegan
      • Jack Burke
      • David Higgins
      • Jimmy Hussey
      • Rory O'Huiginn
      • David Freeman
    • Wingers >
      • Chris Monk
      • MJ Tierney
      • Conor Fennell2
      • Niall Holleran
      • Lewis Cawley
      • Aaron Clarke
      • Desmond Eiffe
      • Eoin Kenny
      • Brian Mullally
      • Joe O'Hara
      • Alejandro Vergara
    • Forwards >
      • Collie Barrett
      • Ryan Scollard
      • Stephen Canavan
      • Francis Mulhall
      • Shane Halpin
      • Shane Gilroy
      • Jamie McCaul
  • Social
  • History
    • 2021/2022
    • 2019/2020
    • 2018/2019
    • 2017/2018
    • 2016/2017
    • 2015/2016
    • 2014/2015
    • 2013/2014
    • 2012/2013
    • 2011/2012
    • 2010/2011
    • 2009/2010
    • 2007/2008
    • Earlier >
      • 1970-1979
      • 1980-1989
      • 1990-1999
      • 2000-2009
    • Modern Legends A-K >
      • John Bannon
      • Jamie Brennan
      • Darragh Connolly
      • Garrett Connolly
      • Paddy Costello
      • Robbie Creevy
      • David Devaney
      • Collie Dolan
      • Carl Doyle
      • Harry Crowe
      • Niall Duff
      • Stephen Faherty
      • Caoimhin Fahy
      • Adam Finnegan
      • Mike Frawley
      • Mark Hanratty
      • Neil Harrington
      • Amer Herenda
      • Fionn Geoghegan
      • Dan Kiely
      • Barry Kirwan
    • Modern Legends L-Z >
      • Donal Larkin
      • Mark Lawless
      • Fionn Lawlor
      • Paul Lydon
      • Barry Lyons
      • Stephen Kelly
      • Cian McGuinness
      • Ian MacHugh
      • Kohei Masaki
      • Paul McPhillips
      • Robbie Moran
      • Mick Murray
      • Paul O'Regan
      • Stephen Nolan
      • John Power
      • Stephen Robinson
      • Andy Roe
      • Barry Shortt
      • Mark Sullivan
      • Matthew Tappin
  • Contact