Nenagh hold nerve in shoot-out

Limerick District League Review

By Pat Sheehan

FAI Junior Cup

Holycross 3-3 Nenagh AFC (AET, Nenagh win 5-3 on pens)

Nenagh AFC survived a scare before booking their place in the next round of the FAI Junior Cup, edging past Division 1A side Holycross on penalties after a thrilling six-goal encounter on Sunday.

Holycross took the lead after twenty minutes through AJ Moloney, but Nenagh responded just before the interval when Daniel Connolly struck a superb free kick from just outside the penalty area to bring his side level.

Connolly then turned the game in Nenagh’s favour shortly after the restart, finding the net again with a well-placed header at the back post.

Nenagh looked to have taken control when Colm Hayden continued his excellent run of form in midfield, unleashing a spectacular 30-yard strike to put the Premier Division side 3-1 ahead.

However, Holycross refused to give in, and a quick-fire double from James McCarthy brought the Division 1A side back on level terms at 3-3.

Neither team could find a decisive goal during the remainder of normal time or extra time, leaving penalties to settle the tie.

Nenagh held their nerve from the spot, converting five penalties (along with a couple of fine saves from keeper Carl Williams) to win 5-3.

Nenagh AFC: Carl Williams; Conor McCormack; Colm Hayden; Kieran Barr; N Mathewebo; Conor Hanniffy; Daniel Connolly; Tarla Doris; Matt O'Gorman; Mark Manley; Nathan Kelly. Subs: Kieran O'Brien; Dan O'Meara; Brian Tracey; Saeed Ryan; Dylan Morrison; Aaron Mitchell.

Aisling Annacotty 7-1 Lough Derg

Aisling Annacotty kicked off the weekend on Saturday evening when they saw off the challenge of Lough Derg with relative ease.

That said it was not until Aisling brought on their big guns midway through the second half that they pulled clear of the Division 2A side.

Francesco Martini gave the home side a first half lead and David Brennan made it 2-0 after the break.

Substitute Joel Coustrain went on to complete a hat trick with Sean O'Haodha and Niko Kozlowski also netting for the winners. Sean Lyons claimed a consolation goal for Lough Derg.

Lough Derg: Oisin Conacur; Darragh Hickey, Jack Scullane, Gearoid O’Shaughnessy, Daniel Fogarty, Sean Fahy, Cian Reamon Mullane, Jay Collins, Sean Lyons, Adam Blake, Cian McAuley. Subs: Danny Hammond for Scullane; Ryan Smith Noonan for Fahy; Ryan Imhoff for Blake; Martin Burke for McAuley; JP Mbokha Tansia for Reamon Mullane.

Lower Leagues

In Division 2B, Newport Town ‘C’ opened up a six-point lead at the top of the table after they defeated Shelbourne B 5-1 with goals from John Ryan (2), Paul Ryan, C Darcy, and an own goal accounted for the winning goals.

In Division 3A, Noel McLeish was on the mark for Lough Derg ‘B’ but they fell 3-1 to Knockainey.

Youths

In the FAI Under 17 Cup, Lough Derg ran riot against Corbally United running in goals from Flynn (3), Shanahan (2), Jugowiec (2), and one each from Hass, Morgan, O'Callaghan & O'Brien.

Nenagh AFC had no such luck, going down 5-0 to Fairview Rangers.