Seaford Rock United 4-3 Spartak Dynamo
Vere Deane Cup, Round One
Seaford's seconds prevailed in a madcap game to reach the second round of the Vere Deane Cup.
With six second team regulars called up to first team action, interim managers Darren Grealish and Matt Tappin were forced into a re-jig, with first team skipper Mike O'Neill brought in as a holding midfielder as he continues his injury rehabilitation.
The visitors hit the front early on following a terrible error by the usually rock-solid Stephen Harding. The centre back attempted an ill-judged backpass to Eoin English, but Niall Lennon pounced on his weak effort and converted to make it 1-0.
The equaliser wasn't long in coming, however, after Donal Howley sped down the left wing and squared the ball to Piers Shelton, who cracked his shot off the bar and - in the referee's view at least - over the line.
But the Seaford defence, who had kept clean sheets in the previous two matched, was once again badly caught out as Spartak re-took the lead, with Jeff Gamble punishing its uncertainty to make it 2-1.
The home side's second equaliser was a beauty, with English, Grealish, O'Neill, and Amer Herenda moving the ball through defence and midfield, before winger Shane "The Duck" Lauritsch skinned Chris Hogan and produced a fine cross for O'Neill to drill home from the edge of the box.
And the comeback was complete when top scorer Francis Mulhall lashed into the roof of the net late in the first half, capitalising on Andy Roe's sensational skill on the edge of the box to tee him up.Roe seemed to have put the outcome beyond doubt on 58 minutes when he scuffed home from another Lauritsch assist, but Spartak fought back courtesy of Shane McInerney's looping header to make it 4-3.
In truth, the margin of victory ought to have been wider, with Roe scuffing a late chance wide after sub Ross O'Riordan set him up with impressive skilful burst down the flank, whereas English was rarely troubled aside from the goals conceded. But in cup football, all the matters is the result, and given the second team's recent cup-winning pedigree, they will hope it is the first step in another adventure.
Seaford: E English; A Herenda, C Barrett (R O'Riordan, 78), D Grealish (c), S Harding; M O'Neill; A Roe, P Shelton, S Lauritsch, D Howley; F Mulhall (D Cunningham, 78).
Spartak Dynamo: G Byrne, D O'Kelly, C Hogan, S Browne, F Grace, S McInerney, D Ritchie, C Callis, N Lennon, M Leslie, J Gamble
Rockfield Park, Blackrock - 12 March 2016
With six second team regulars called up to first team action, interim managers Darren Grealish and Matt Tappin were forced into a re-jig, with first team skipper Mike O'Neill brought in as a holding midfielder as he continues his injury rehabilitation.
The visitors hit the front early on following a terrible error by the usually rock-solid Stephen Harding. The centre back attempted an ill-judged backpass to Eoin English, but Niall Lennon pounced on his weak effort and converted to make it 1-0.
The equaliser wasn't long in coming, however, after Donal Howley sped down the left wing and squared the ball to Piers Shelton, who cracked his shot off the bar and - in the referee's view at least - over the line.
But the Seaford defence, who had kept clean sheets in the previous two matched, was once again badly caught out as Spartak re-took the lead, with Jeff Gamble punishing its uncertainty to make it 2-1.
The home side's second equaliser was a beauty, with English, Grealish, O'Neill, and Amer Herenda moving the ball through defence and midfield, before winger Shane "The Duck" Lauritsch skinned Chris Hogan and produced a fine cross for O'Neill to drill home from the edge of the box.
And the comeback was complete when top scorer Francis Mulhall lashed into the roof of the net late in the first half, capitalising on Andy Roe's sensational skill on the edge of the box to tee him up.Roe seemed to have put the outcome beyond doubt on 58 minutes when he scuffed home from another Lauritsch assist, but Spartak fought back courtesy of Shane McInerney's looping header to make it 4-3.
In truth, the margin of victory ought to have been wider, with Roe scuffing a late chance wide after sub Ross O'Riordan set him up with impressive skilful burst down the flank, whereas English was rarely troubled aside from the goals conceded. But in cup football, all the matters is the result, and given the second team's recent cup-winning pedigree, they will hope it is the first step in another adventure.
Seaford: E English; A Herenda, C Barrett (R O'Riordan, 78), D Grealish (c), S Harding; M O'Neill; A Roe, P Shelton, S Lauritsch, D Howley; F Mulhall (D Cunningham, 78).
Spartak Dynamo: G Byrne, D O'Kelly, C Hogan, S Browne, F Grace, S McInerney, D Ritchie, C Callis, N Lennon, M Leslie, J Gamble
Rockfield Park, Blackrock - 12 March 2016