Match Report: Confey 1-3 Seaford Rock United
LFA Junior Cup, First Round
It wasn't a classic performance by any means, but Seaford did enough to progress to the second round of the Leinster Junior Cup, coming from behind to see off Confey.
It was a fairly dismal first half performance from the visitors, still winless in league play, albeit two divisions higher than their hosts.
Confey had the first opening when Kyle Costello laid in Toby Oloko, but the striker blasted his shot straight at Eoin English's body.
Seaford's first opening was created by Darragh Connolly's mazy dribble, but Conor Tobin curled his shot just over, before Tobin skinned Owen McQuillan and burst into the box, only to side-foot his shot just wide of the far post.
The home side took the lead on 38 minutes. Tom Walkins's cross seemed innocuous, but it took only the slightest glance from Oloko to divert the ball into the corner of the net. And it almost got worse for Seaford moments later, when English produced a stunning save to keep out Dave McSherry's whipped free kick.
Confey would rue that miss in the final seconds of the first half stoppage time, as Tobin got to the by-line and centred the ball for substitute Paul Lydon to guide the ball into the corner of the net from the edge of the box.
Seaford completed the turnaround early in the second half, again from a Tobin cross. This time it eluded its intended targets, but Chris Monk managed to retrieve the loose ball and spun to fire home a low shot for his first ever first team goal.
In truth, Seaford's lead never came under sustained threat, with one glaring exception on 66 minutes when a clever free kick routine saw Ronan Barry find Cian MacDonnell in space just ten yards out with only English to beat, but he blazed his shot over the bar.
And the visitors made sure of progress inside the last quarter of an hour in somewhat bizarre fashion. With his first touch after coming on for his first team debut, Gavin Walsh aimed a through-ball towards Garrett Connolly, who had strayed offside. Connolly ignored the pass, as did the Confey defence, allowing Walsh to speed onto his own pass, rounding Geraghty before slotting home from a tight angle.
Seaford might have added to their lead late on after a brilliant team move featuring more than a dozen passes. Man of the match Neil Harrington exchanged one-twos with three teammates before finding Kohei Masaki, whose clever reverse pass created an opening for Ian Nolan, rampaging upfield from centre back, but his left-footed drive was just too high.
For the third season in a row, Seaford are in the draw for the second round for the provincial cup, but first must negotiate a tough tie against Rush Athletic in the nationwide equivalent in a week;s time.
Seaford: Eoin English; Ian Nolan, Fionn Lawlor, Alan Brennan; Neil Harrington, Michael O'Neill (Paul Lydon, 31), Darragh Connolly (Conan Murphy, 79), Chris Monk, David Mackey; Conor Tobin (Kohei Masaki, 79), Francis Mulhall (Garrett Connolly, 60). Goals: Lydon (45+4), Monk (51) Walsh (75)
Confey: Andy Geraghty, Tom Watkins (Mark Devine, 84), Owen McQuillan (Calvin Tang, 49), Shane Fitzpatrick, Jonathan Keating, Dave Breslin, Dave McSherry, Ronan Barry, Cian MacDonnell, Kyle Costello (Jarick Townsend, 77), Toby Oloko (Jamie Keogh, 55). Goal: Oloko (31)
St Catherine's Park, 23 September 2017
It was a fairly dismal first half performance from the visitors, still winless in league play, albeit two divisions higher than their hosts.
Confey had the first opening when Kyle Costello laid in Toby Oloko, but the striker blasted his shot straight at Eoin English's body.
Seaford's first opening was created by Darragh Connolly's mazy dribble, but Conor Tobin curled his shot just over, before Tobin skinned Owen McQuillan and burst into the box, only to side-foot his shot just wide of the far post.
The home side took the lead on 38 minutes. Tom Walkins's cross seemed innocuous, but it took only the slightest glance from Oloko to divert the ball into the corner of the net. And it almost got worse for Seaford moments later, when English produced a stunning save to keep out Dave McSherry's whipped free kick.
Confey would rue that miss in the final seconds of the first half stoppage time, as Tobin got to the by-line and centred the ball for substitute Paul Lydon to guide the ball into the corner of the net from the edge of the box.
Seaford completed the turnaround early in the second half, again from a Tobin cross. This time it eluded its intended targets, but Chris Monk managed to retrieve the loose ball and spun to fire home a low shot for his first ever first team goal.
In truth, Seaford's lead never came under sustained threat, with one glaring exception on 66 minutes when a clever free kick routine saw Ronan Barry find Cian MacDonnell in space just ten yards out with only English to beat, but he blazed his shot over the bar.
And the visitors made sure of progress inside the last quarter of an hour in somewhat bizarre fashion. With his first touch after coming on for his first team debut, Gavin Walsh aimed a through-ball towards Garrett Connolly, who had strayed offside. Connolly ignored the pass, as did the Confey defence, allowing Walsh to speed onto his own pass, rounding Geraghty before slotting home from a tight angle.
Seaford might have added to their lead late on after a brilliant team move featuring more than a dozen passes. Man of the match Neil Harrington exchanged one-twos with three teammates before finding Kohei Masaki, whose clever reverse pass created an opening for Ian Nolan, rampaging upfield from centre back, but his left-footed drive was just too high.
For the third season in a row, Seaford are in the draw for the second round for the provincial cup, but first must negotiate a tough tie against Rush Athletic in the nationwide equivalent in a week;s time.
Seaford: Eoin English; Ian Nolan, Fionn Lawlor, Alan Brennan; Neil Harrington, Michael O'Neill (Paul Lydon, 31), Darragh Connolly (Conan Murphy, 79), Chris Monk, David Mackey; Conor Tobin (Kohei Masaki, 79), Francis Mulhall (Garrett Connolly, 60). Goals: Lydon (45+4), Monk (51) Walsh (75)
Confey: Andy Geraghty, Tom Watkins (Mark Devine, 84), Owen McQuillan (Calvin Tang, 49), Shane Fitzpatrick, Jonathan Keating, Dave Breslin, Dave McSherry, Ronan Barry, Cian MacDonnell, Kyle Costello (Jarick Townsend, 77), Toby Oloko (Jamie Keogh, 55). Goal: Oloko (31)
St Catherine's Park, 23 September 2017