Seaford Rock United 4-2 Castle Celtic
LJA Junior Cup, First Round
The first team survived a rocky second half showing to reach the second round of the Leinster Junior Cup.
The first half demonstrated a gulf in class between the two sides, as the home side raced into a 3-0 lead within the opening quarter of the match.
Winger Stephen Faherty, switched onto his less favoured left side, was in unstoppable form during the opening period, and he opened the scoring in the third minute when he ran onto Paul Lydon's flick-on and smahshed a powerful shot into the net.
It was from Faherty's corner that skipper Mike O'Neill headed in the second on 19 minutes, shortly before yet another burst down the left led to Faherty squaring the ball for O'Neill, who was clattered by a Castle defender as he was about to pull the trigger. Referee Claudiu Cimposeu pointed to he spot and O'Neill slotted home the penalty.
It was one-way traffic at this stage, and Steve Kane missed a golden opportunity to make it four from another Faherty cross, when he placed his side-footed volley just over from eight yards.
The visitors pulled one back with their first attempt at goal, with acouple of minute remaining in the half., when midfielder Aiden Meehan unleashed a brilliant right-footed strike into the top corner, following the second ball off a free kick.
Seaford laboured during the second,period, which was a scrappier affair and a much more even contest than the first .There were few chances at either end before Seaford put the outcome beyond doubt through substitute Collie Barrett, who raced cler from Piers Shelton's fine through-ball and squeezed the ball into the net from a tight angle after Conor Seery had blocked his initial effort.
Shelton almost added another himself after a slalom run straight through teh visiting defence, only for Seery to block his shot wiith foot, but it was Castle were allowed into the game towards the end, with Liam Kennedy first firing over from 20 yards before pulling his low left-footed strike just wide, before Aaron Byrne nipped in ahead of Seaford keeper Eoin English to prod a loose ball into the net with just a couple of minutes to play
And there was further late drama when Seaford centre half John Bannon was penalised for handball into the box, only for Stephen O'Brien to miss the target with the resultant penalty.
Manager Alan Burns will be pleased to progress to the second round of the cup , but for a second consecutive match, the first team were extremely lacklustre in the second half after a dominant opening period.
Seaford: E English: D Devaney, J Nolan, J Bannon, C Fahy (M Tappin, 79); A Finnegan (C Barrett, 65); M O'Neill, P Shelton; S Faherty (D Connolly, 53), S Kane, Paul Lydon. Goals: S Faherty (3), M O'Neill (19, 23 pen) C Barrett (80)
Castle Celtic:C Seery (S Gallagher, 56),D Murphy, G Ward, S Downes, A Byne, A Meehan (J Keenan, 59), D Byrne, S Gahan, S O'Brien, L Kennedy, S Buckley. Goals: A Meehan (44), A Byrne (88)
Rockfield Park - 19 September 2015
LJA Junior Cup, First Round
The first team survived a rocky second half showing to reach the second round of the Leinster Junior Cup.
The first half demonstrated a gulf in class between the two sides, as the home side raced into a 3-0 lead within the opening quarter of the match.
Winger Stephen Faherty, switched onto his less favoured left side, was in unstoppable form during the opening period, and he opened the scoring in the third minute when he ran onto Paul Lydon's flick-on and smahshed a powerful shot into the net.
It was from Faherty's corner that skipper Mike O'Neill headed in the second on 19 minutes, shortly before yet another burst down the left led to Faherty squaring the ball for O'Neill, who was clattered by a Castle defender as he was about to pull the trigger. Referee Claudiu Cimposeu pointed to he spot and O'Neill slotted home the penalty.
It was one-way traffic at this stage, and Steve Kane missed a golden opportunity to make it four from another Faherty cross, when he placed his side-footed volley just over from eight yards.
The visitors pulled one back with their first attempt at goal, with acouple of minute remaining in the half., when midfielder Aiden Meehan unleashed a brilliant right-footed strike into the top corner, following the second ball off a free kick.
Seaford laboured during the second,period, which was a scrappier affair and a much more even contest than the first .There were few chances at either end before Seaford put the outcome beyond doubt through substitute Collie Barrett, who raced cler from Piers Shelton's fine through-ball and squeezed the ball into the net from a tight angle after Conor Seery had blocked his initial effort.
Shelton almost added another himself after a slalom run straight through teh visiting defence, only for Seery to block his shot wiith foot, but it was Castle were allowed into the game towards the end, with Liam Kennedy first firing over from 20 yards before pulling his low left-footed strike just wide, before Aaron Byrne nipped in ahead of Seaford keeper Eoin English to prod a loose ball into the net with just a couple of minutes to play
And there was further late drama when Seaford centre half John Bannon was penalised for handball into the box, only for Stephen O'Brien to miss the target with the resultant penalty.
Manager Alan Burns will be pleased to progress to the second round of the cup , but for a second consecutive match, the first team were extremely lacklustre in the second half after a dominant opening period.
Seaford: E English: D Devaney, J Nolan, J Bannon, C Fahy (M Tappin, 79); A Finnegan (C Barrett, 65); M O'Neill, P Shelton; S Faherty (D Connolly, 53), S Kane, Paul Lydon. Goals: S Faherty (3), M O'Neill (19, 23 pen) C Barrett (80)
Castle Celtic:C Seery (S Gallagher, 56),D Murphy, G Ward, S Downes, A Byne, A Meehan (J Keenan, 59), D Byrne, S Gahan, S O'Brien, L Kennedy, S Buckley. Goals: A Meehan (44), A Byrne (88)
Rockfield Park - 19 September 2015