Contrasting FAI Cup fortunes for Tipp clubs

SOCCER: Limerick District League Review

By Pat Sheehan

FAI Junior Cup

Nenagh AFC 5-4 Athlunkard Villa

The only all-Premier division clash in the first round of the FAI Junior Cup produced a nine-goal thriller with Nenagh AFC just edging out visitors Athlunkard Villa in Brickfields on Sunday to progress.

Nenagh’s last action was a month ago, ironically Athlunkard again provided the opposition in a penalty shoot-out win for the Tipperary side.

Nenagh were out of the traps quickly and took the lead when Pa Steed set up Dylan Morrison to finish. Villa responded well and goals by Lorcan Feeny and Sean Markham flipped the game in their favour by the half hour mark.

A frantic end to the opening half produced three goals in three minutes. Good work by Morrison set up Adam Ryan to make it 2-2. A minute later, Danny Taylor restored Villa’s lead but Nenagh responded immediately Colm Hayden scored to send the sides in level at the break 3-3.

Nenagh went ahead when Adam Ryan’s delivery was knocked into his own goal by a Villa defender. To add salt to the visitor’s wounds, a couple of minutes later a cross by Adam Brennan had the same result with a second own goal giving Nenagh a 5-3 lead.

To their credit Villa never gave up and a goal from Famara Kassama set up a thrilling finish but Nenagh held on for the win.

Nenagh AFC: Oisin Conacur; Colm Hayden; Saeed Ryan; Kieran Barr; Lee Mowatt; Pa Steed; Adam Brennan; Dan O'Meara; Dylan Morrison; Adam Ryan; Daniel Connolly. Subs: Matt O'Gorman; Aaron Cusack; Eoin Coffey; Bryan McGee; M Manley; B Tracey

Newport Town 1-2 Regional United

A last-minute penalty denied Newport the chance of taking a major scalp when they hosted Regional United in the second round of the FAI Junior Cup at Derryleigh Park on Sunday.

The Tipperary side produced a much-improved performance after a barren run but had no answer to Regional veteran Kieran O'Connell who scored both goals for the winners. The long serving midfielder put the visitors ahead on the half hour mark but Newport bounced back and levelled two minutes before the breakthrough Callum O'Connell.

Defences were well on top but deep in injury time Regional were awarded a penalty kick and O’Connell produced the goods to send his side through.

Newport Town: Jimmy Fyffe; Killian O'Malley; Callum O'Connell; Christy O'Connor; Peter O'Sullivan; Darren Collins; Pa Murtagh; Aaron Coleman; Brian O'Sullivan; Ciaran Carey; Paul Ryan. Subs: Dave O'Brien; Luke Ryan; Jamie Kavanagh; Sean Bonfield; Eoin Looney; Elliot Slattery; Conor Brett.

Also in the FAI Junior Cup, Lough Derg went down 8-0 to top Premier side Aisling Annacotty.

Lower Leagues

In Division 1B, Steve Daly and Dylan Kennedy netted for Nenagh AFC ‘B’ but they went down 3-2 to Lisnagry, while Braoin Cleary and Riley Smith Coonan were on the mark for Lough Derg ‘B’ in their 2-2 draw with Moyross.

In Under 17 Division 1, goals from S Wallace (2), O Shanahan, G O'Shaughnessy and G McWey helped Lough Derg to a 5-3 win over Aisling Annacotty ‘B’ while Newport Town beat Corbally United with S Murphy scoring the only goal of the game.