Nowhere to 'Hide for Manulla as Blues exit FAI Junior Cup
A goal in each half was enough to send Manulla out of the FAI Junior Cup at the hands of Dublin visitors Malahide United.
For Aidan Dunleavy’s men, there will be a case of what might have been as they created the chances but failed to take them. They were to be punished by the slick Dubliners, with midfielders Sam McAllister and Eoin White dictating affairs after withstanding an early burst from the hosts.
The boys in blue could have hit the front as early as the third minute after a mix-up in the Malahide defence but goalkeeper Darragh Mooney was on hand to stop Lorcan Conroy from getting what appeared a nailed-on opener.
Mooney was forced into action again three minutes later to denying Shea Benson while on the 11 minute mark, Benson was unfortunate not to score as header back across goal from Gavin Jennings corner went inches wide of the post Malahide gradually began to get control and almost took the lead midway through the half as a corner into the penalty area was not cleared away and Gavin Jennings blocked the ball on the line not once, but twice.
Manulla goalkeeper Conor Stapleton was a busy man, as were centre-half duo Ruairi Henry and Darren Fernandes and a rare error by the later allowed Eoin White in only for the number 10 to curl his effort wide.
Alongside the centre-halves, full-backs Lee Lyons and Gavin Jennings were outstanding as Malahide found themselves frustrated time after time. It appeared a breakthrough would likely only come from a dead ball situation for the visitors and it would finally arrive late in the first half as a Sam McAliister corner into the near post was forces over the line from close range by Ciaran Cross.
It was a cruel blow for Manulla to concede on the stroke of half-time but the goal was little more than Malahide deserved and they began to dominate the second half.
Stapleton was forced into action again to deny Simon Murphy with his outstretched boot but it seemingly was only a matter of time before they would get a killer second goal and it arrived on 62 minutes as Chukwudarlu Igbosonu's cross from the right took a deflection on the way and evaded the Manulla defence for the easiest of finishes for substitute Conn Gibson.
Malahide would dominate the last 25 minutes and should have added to their tally. For their part, Manulla battled gamely but nothing would fall for Lorcan Conroy while Diarmuid Heneghan narrowly missed the target after a rasping drive from distance.
It was all or nothing for Manulla late on but Malahide held firm and were unlucky not to add a third at the very end on the break when Murphy squared it to Ronan Carberry, but Stapleton was there to deny him.
