Covey crew cut Oak boys down to size
Westport United's Cian Halpin (right) closes in on New Oak's Jordan Harmon during last Sunday's FAI Junior Cup clash in Carlow. Pictures: Thomas Nolan Photography.
Darren Browne’s second-half strike was enough as Westport United reached the last 32 of the FAI Junior Cup on Sunday. However, New Oak will feel hard done by to have lost the game. They had the ball in the back of the net having gone behind early in the second-half, only for the referee to have adjudged the ball to have gone out of play in the build-up. Subsequent video footage emerging online seems to suggest that the ball hadn’t actually gone out of play.
New Oak had other chances to win it though, with Dean Kelly missing a sitter and then heading a free-kick off the post.
In a scrappy first-half, with neither side really able to get a foothold in the game, the first chance came the way of the home side after eight minutes as a James McGrath corner-kick from the left was cleared. Nine minutes later, a Jordan Harmon effort from distance was hit over the bar.
Westport went close on 19 minutes as a cross from Mikey O’Brien - the defender's first game back for the club since returning from Canada - just missed Dan O’Malley in the middle. On the half hour mark, Westport were again unlucky to not take the lead. A corner form the right was played short and O’Brien was able to pick out Dan O’Malley with another great cross but his diving header went over the bar.
A minute later, a Dean Kelly effort for New Oak from the right was palmed away. The resulting corner-kick from Luke Ramsbottom from the right was headed wide at the near post by David O’Shea.
With four minutes until half-time, a Kelly free-kick from the left was cleared. A Cian Cleary bicycle kick was also deflected wide. The resulting corner from the left was collected by United goalkeeper Gary Cunningham after a struggle.
Three minutes into the second-half, a Cian Cleary effort from the right was hit into the arms of Cunningham while at the other end, Ted Horan hit an effort from distance over the bar for Westport.
On the hour mark, Westport took the lead as a mistake in the middle saw Darren Browne break up the right hand side. Browne would then evade the challenge of Owen McCormack and curled his effort past the onrushing Craig Kearney into the middle of the goal.
Two minutes later, a Harmon free-kick from the right was cleared and Dean Kelly had an even better chance to level the game when he was played through one on one with the ‘keeper, and put his effort just wide on the right. Another Harmon free-kick from the right was headed off the near post by Kelly.
Westport went close with an effort from the right but Kearney saved. At the other end, New Oak bombarded the Westport area with free-kicks, from Kelly, Harmon and McGrath, but all efforts were cleared as United’s centre-back duo of Cillian McGlade and Aaron Cannon continued to deal with the aerial threat.
With 11 minutes to go, a Cleary cross from the left missed everybody and it was palmed away by Cunningham. The resulting corner-kick from the right from Harmon was hit towards goal and cleared, played back to the left where the ball was adjudged to have gone out and played into the middle where the ball was knocked into the back of the net.
With five minutes gone in stoppage time, a Jamie Murphy header was hit into the Westport ‘keeper while two minutes later, a final Harmon corner from the right was cleared off the line and United could celebrate another great win on the road in the Junior Cup in what was Anthony O’Neill’s first game in charge as the new manager.
New Oak: Craig Kearney, Kyle Foley, Cian Dowling, David O’Shea, Owen McCormack, James McGrath, Jordan Harmon, Dean Kelly, Cian Cleary, Roy Byrne, Luke Ramsbottom. Subs: Jamie Murphy (for Ramsbottom 67), David Keating (for O’Shea 77), Dylan Keightley (for McCormack 90+7).
Westport United: Gary Cunningham, Cillian White, Mikey O’Brien, Cillian McGlade, Aaron Cannon, Caoimhín O’Toole, Cian Halpin, Jack Dawson, Dylan O’Malley, Dan O’Malley, Kevin Kitterick. Subs: Jack Murphy (for Dylan O’Malley 81), Cillian McGing (for Kitterick 89).
REF: Patrick O’Connor
