Match Report: Seaford Rock United 2-5 Mid Sutton Sportslink
Vere Deane Cup, First Round
It was a chastening afternoon for the seconds as Mid Sutton Sportslink ran riot in the early part of the second half to ease into the second round of the Deane Cup.
The visitors were an experienced and physically dominant side, and Seaford struggled to cope with their set-piece threat, in particular. Their big fullback Dave Murphy had already been denied what seemed a simple finish by Paidi O'Fatharta's saving tackle before he opened the scoring on six minutes, nodding in Luke O'Brien's cross from the resulting corner.
And Murphy might have notched again on 28 minutes as he was yet again left unmarked for a corner, only for Shane Lauritsch to clear his cross-shot off the goalline.
But Seaford were roused into action and dominated the last quarter of an hour of the first half. Peter Tierney had a golden opportunity to level when put through by O'Fatharta, but fired straight at Liam Daly's chest, before Collie Barrett won a penalty after bursting into the box, only for O'Fatharta to see his spot kick saved by Daly.
Saeford continued to pin the northsiders back, with Mike O;Neill twice coming a matter of inches from scoring in the dying minutes of the half, both after fine work by Barrett. First, he was beaten to the ball by a defender after O'Fatharta's deflected shot, and then he couldn't quite squeeze the ball inside the post, at full stretch from Barrett's cross.
Mid Sutton survived the onslaught, and when the pendulum swung in their favour after the break they showed themselves to be much more clinical than their hosts. They were awarded a penalty of their own just seconds after the restart, which Paul Daly duly converted, and although a fine save by Eoin English denied Ian Fleming moments later, it wasn't long before Fleming set up Amir Zalli for a superb side-footed finish made it 3-0. A through ball from Peter Byrne put Conor Farrell through on goal, and he produced an exquisite first touch before converting to put the result beyond doubt.
By now Seaford had five natural out-and-out strikers on the field, so more goals were inevitable, with O'Fatharta hooking in a consolation goal at the second attempt after being first denied by Daly. But the visitors weren't finished, with substitute Mick Carr heading their fifth, before Seaford's Barrett completed the scoring late on with the goal his performance merited, curling home in style after Carl Doyle had been tackled on the edge of the box.
Seaford: Eoin English; Shane Lauritsch, David Devaney, (Kevin Cunningham, 62), Amer Herenda, Matt Tappin (Mikey Kane, 68), Neil Harrington, Mike O'Neill (Coly McCarron, 60), Brian Mullally (Carl Doyle, 55), Collie Barrett, Paidi O'Fatharta (Daire Ralph, 68), Peter Tierney .. Goals: O'Fatharta (59), Barrett (90)
Mid Sutton Sportslink: Liam Daly, Dave Murphy, Ruairi Sheridan, Stephen McDonald, Peter Byrne, Paul Daly, Ian Fleming (Fran Keenan, 63), Conor Farrell (Conor Phelan, 76), Amir Zalli (Mick Carr), Luke O'Brien, Tommy Keenan. Goals: Murphy (6), Daly (46, pen), Zalli (53), Farrell (57), Carr (66)
Rockfield Park, 27 January 2018
The visitors were an experienced and physically dominant side, and Seaford struggled to cope with their set-piece threat, in particular. Their big fullback Dave Murphy had already been denied what seemed a simple finish by Paidi O'Fatharta's saving tackle before he opened the scoring on six minutes, nodding in Luke O'Brien's cross from the resulting corner.
And Murphy might have notched again on 28 minutes as he was yet again left unmarked for a corner, only for Shane Lauritsch to clear his cross-shot off the goalline.
But Seaford were roused into action and dominated the last quarter of an hour of the first half. Peter Tierney had a golden opportunity to level when put through by O'Fatharta, but fired straight at Liam Daly's chest, before Collie Barrett won a penalty after bursting into the box, only for O'Fatharta to see his spot kick saved by Daly.
Saeford continued to pin the northsiders back, with Mike O;Neill twice coming a matter of inches from scoring in the dying minutes of the half, both after fine work by Barrett. First, he was beaten to the ball by a defender after O'Fatharta's deflected shot, and then he couldn't quite squeeze the ball inside the post, at full stretch from Barrett's cross.
Mid Sutton survived the onslaught, and when the pendulum swung in their favour after the break they showed themselves to be much more clinical than their hosts. They were awarded a penalty of their own just seconds after the restart, which Paul Daly duly converted, and although a fine save by Eoin English denied Ian Fleming moments later, it wasn't long before Fleming set up Amir Zalli for a superb side-footed finish made it 3-0. A through ball from Peter Byrne put Conor Farrell through on goal, and he produced an exquisite first touch before converting to put the result beyond doubt.
By now Seaford had five natural out-and-out strikers on the field, so more goals were inevitable, with O'Fatharta hooking in a consolation goal at the second attempt after being first denied by Daly. But the visitors weren't finished, with substitute Mick Carr heading their fifth, before Seaford's Barrett completed the scoring late on with the goal his performance merited, curling home in style after Carl Doyle had been tackled on the edge of the box.
Seaford: Eoin English; Shane Lauritsch, David Devaney, (Kevin Cunningham, 62), Amer Herenda, Matt Tappin (Mikey Kane, 68), Neil Harrington, Mike O'Neill (Coly McCarron, 60), Brian Mullally (Carl Doyle, 55), Collie Barrett, Paidi O'Fatharta (Daire Ralph, 68), Peter Tierney .. Goals: O'Fatharta (59), Barrett (90)
Mid Sutton Sportslink: Liam Daly, Dave Murphy, Ruairi Sheridan, Stephen McDonald, Peter Byrne, Paul Daly, Ian Fleming (Fran Keenan, 63), Conor Farrell (Conor Phelan, 76), Amir Zalli (Mick Carr), Luke O'Brien, Tommy Keenan. Goals: Murphy (6), Daly (46, pen), Zalli (53), Farrell (57), Carr (66)
Rockfield Park, 27 January 2018