Match Report: Tolka Rovers 1-1 Seaford Rock United (*Seaford win 4-1 on pens)
Noel Ryan Cup, Second Round
Ian Nolan fires home Seaford's winning penalty
Seaford edged into the third round of the Ryan Cup at the expense of higher-ranked Tolka Rovers thanks to some resilient defending and a brilliant team ethic - as well as the occasional rub of the green.
The hosts had made a perfect start to the season in Major 1A, with four wins from four, but Seaford were in good form too and Alan Burns had the rare luxury of being able to name an unchanged lineup at Frank Cooke Park.
As with the two sides' previous meeting last season, chances were few and far between in the first half. Seaford had the first couple of efforts, with Andy Roe firing wide from range, and Stephen Kelly's overhead kick easily saved by Callum Atkinson, but the first clear chance fell to the hosts when Kelly seemed to be clipped by a striker, presendting a golden chance to Luke Somers, only for Oisin Geoghegan to tip his shot wide at full stretch.
Seaford took the lead on 25 minutes following a corner. Gavin Walsh's long range snapshot was saved by Atkinson, but Sam Browne was on hand to force home the rebound.
The hosts went close to levelling either side of half time, first when Somers fired just off target after the ball ricocheted back to him, and then when winger Mark Ivanov beat the offside trap from Derek Duffy's diagonal ball, only to fire his shot wide of the far post.
Tolka continued to press, and Seaford rode their luck, as the referee ignored a coueple of plausible-looking penalty claims by the reds, before on 76 minutes Dennis Kinlan's cross looped over Geoghegan and bounced off the inside of the far post, the and Colin Eccles somehow managed to blaze the rebound over the bar with the empty goal at his mercy.
But Eccles made no mitake to equalise on 86 minutes. The chance was created by impressive substitute Shane McCann, whose lofted through-ball found Eccles in acres of space behind the Seaford backline, and the winger patiently waited for the ball to come under control before slotting past Geoghegan.
Both sides looked tired as extra time wore on. Seaford's substitute Garrett Connolly made a couple of threatening bursts forward only to be unceremoniously and illegally interrupted, and Somers might have won it for Tolka in the last minute from a Joseph McDonnell lay-on, but a shoot-out always seemed an inevitability.
Geoghegan - a renowned penalty-stopper - kept out efforts from Michael Murray and Alan Daly, while Christian Firth , Garrett Connolly and Mike O'Neill made no mistake with theirs, enabling skipper Ian Nolan to pick out the top corner and seal victory for Seaford.
Seaford: Oisin Geoghegan; Mike O'Neill, Gavin Walsh (Paul Tansey, 79), Stephen Kelly, Ian Nolan; Sam Browne (Steve Kane, 100), Andy Roe (Garrett Connolly, 69), Oli Wright (Ryan McEnroe, 71), Chris Monk; Darragh Connolly (Mark Sullivan, 90), Christian Firth : Goal: Browne (25)
Tolka Rovers: Callum Atkinson, Alan Daly, Cillian Reid (Kiefer Trappe, 71), Derek Duffy, Michael Murray, Derek Bowd (Shane McCann, 58 (Joseph Dempsey, 97)), Mark Ivanov (Colin Eccles, 62), Edward Keoghan, Luke Somers, Joseph McDonnell, Conor McCarthy (Dennis Kinlan, 62). Goal: Eccles (86)
Frank Cooke Park, 15 September 2018
The hosts had made a perfect start to the season in Major 1A, with four wins from four, but Seaford were in good form too and Alan Burns had the rare luxury of being able to name an unchanged lineup at Frank Cooke Park.
As with the two sides' previous meeting last season, chances were few and far between in the first half. Seaford had the first couple of efforts, with Andy Roe firing wide from range, and Stephen Kelly's overhead kick easily saved by Callum Atkinson, but the first clear chance fell to the hosts when Kelly seemed to be clipped by a striker, presendting a golden chance to Luke Somers, only for Oisin Geoghegan to tip his shot wide at full stretch.
Seaford took the lead on 25 minutes following a corner. Gavin Walsh's long range snapshot was saved by Atkinson, but Sam Browne was on hand to force home the rebound.
The hosts went close to levelling either side of half time, first when Somers fired just off target after the ball ricocheted back to him, and then when winger Mark Ivanov beat the offside trap from Derek Duffy's diagonal ball, only to fire his shot wide of the far post.
Tolka continued to press, and Seaford rode their luck, as the referee ignored a coueple of plausible-looking penalty claims by the reds, before on 76 minutes Dennis Kinlan's cross looped over Geoghegan and bounced off the inside of the far post, the and Colin Eccles somehow managed to blaze the rebound over the bar with the empty goal at his mercy.
But Eccles made no mitake to equalise on 86 minutes. The chance was created by impressive substitute Shane McCann, whose lofted through-ball found Eccles in acres of space behind the Seaford backline, and the winger patiently waited for the ball to come under control before slotting past Geoghegan.
Both sides looked tired as extra time wore on. Seaford's substitute Garrett Connolly made a couple of threatening bursts forward only to be unceremoniously and illegally interrupted, and Somers might have won it for Tolka in the last minute from a Joseph McDonnell lay-on, but a shoot-out always seemed an inevitability.
Geoghegan - a renowned penalty-stopper - kept out efforts from Michael Murray and Alan Daly, while Christian Firth , Garrett Connolly and Mike O'Neill made no mistake with theirs, enabling skipper Ian Nolan to pick out the top corner and seal victory for Seaford.
Seaford: Oisin Geoghegan; Mike O'Neill, Gavin Walsh (Paul Tansey, 79), Stephen Kelly, Ian Nolan; Sam Browne (Steve Kane, 100), Andy Roe (Garrett Connolly, 69), Oli Wright (Ryan McEnroe, 71), Chris Monk; Darragh Connolly (Mark Sullivan, 90), Christian Firth : Goal: Browne (25)
Tolka Rovers: Callum Atkinson, Alan Daly, Cillian Reid (Kiefer Trappe, 71), Derek Duffy, Michael Murray, Derek Bowd (Shane McCann, 58 (Joseph Dempsey, 97)), Mark Ivanov (Colin Eccles, 62), Edward Keoghan, Luke Somers, Joseph McDonnell, Conor McCarthy (Dennis Kinlan, 62). Goal: Eccles (86)
Frank Cooke Park, 15 September 2018