Boy what a relief as ‘Well progress
ATHBOY CELTIC NEWFOUNDWELL 0 3
WHILE their neighbours Boyne Harps slipped up badly in their tie, there was no such trouble for Newfoundwell as they cruised into the Tully Bookmakers Cup quarter-finals with victory over Athboy on Sunday.
This was an eagerly awaited clash as the Meath outfit included Brookville native and onetime English Premiership player Sean Thornton in their ranks, but they were without another former Drogheda United star - Gavin Brennan - through injury.
With just one division separating these two teams and Newfoundwell away from home, this was expected to be a difficult assignment, but two quickfire goals around the mid-way point in the first half put them firmly on course for the last eight of the NEFL’s main knockout competition.
Centre-back Stephen Murphy volleyed the visitors into a 20th-minute lead when he got on the end of an Adam O’Connor corner, and three minutes later O’Connor was the creator again, this time from open play.
He steered in a cross to the back post from where Brandon Sullivan planted a downward header into the opposite corner of the Athboy net.
Athboy had their best spell coming up to half-time and Bashmil Nyakambili - who played in the League of Ireland for Athlone Town against Drogheda United earlier this season - had an effort cleared off the line by Daryl McDonagh.
Then Thornton lined up a free kick and curled it over the Newfoundwell defensive wall, only for keeper Ronan Brown to dive full-length to turn the ball onto the post and out for a corner.
Thornton was anchoring the Athboy midfield with another former Drogheda United player in Derek Kierans, but the ‘Well’s Ryan Connor and Emmanuel Santos coped admirably with everything they had to throw at Newfoundwell.
It was Santos who finally put the tie out of Athboy’s reach in the 82nd minute when he was brought down from behind for a penalty kick which he subsequently converted himself. NEWFOUNDWELL: Ronan Brown, Gaz Smith, Daryl McDonagh, Stephen Murphy, Adam O’Connor, Adam Brady, Emmanuel Santos, Ryan Connor, Eoin Mulroy (Colm Neary), Brandon Sullivan, Shaun Bannon.