Joseph’s have a little extra
Persistent Kilmuckridge crew see off Shamrock Rovers
ST. JOSEPH’S needed extra-time to see off a spirited Shamrock Rovers side and claim the Wexford and District Schoolboys Soccer Under-15 Cup in Bogside on Saturday.
In what was a cracking game of endto-end football, both sides had their chances to win it before the boys from Kilmuckridge scored twice in the first period of extra-time to break the spirited Rovers resolve.
It was evident in the very early stages that both of these sides had difference makers in the attacking half of the field. It was also clear that there were going to be chances and goals as both sides went after the win.
The eventual victors had excellent performers all over the field.
The close call between the two strikers for the man of the match award eventually went to the excellent Nikodem Czernik, but equally diminutive midfielder Brendan Tobin could also have nabbed the gong with a fantastic display in the centre of the park.
There was barely two minutes on the clock when Seán Fitzpatrick fired wide from close range, with the sizeable Rovers fanbase ready and waiting for the net to bulge.
St. Joseph’s took the lead in the tenth minute when Jamie McDonald’s long throw was flicked on by Czernik and poked to the net by Tomás Whelan.
At this stage Joey’s were the better side and could have gone two up on a number of occasions.
The closest they came was when McDonald volleyed over Czernik’s cross at the back post with only Jamie Fitzpatrick to beat.
Then, just on half-time, Shamrock Rovers equalised when Jamie Donnelly headed Seán Fitzpatrick’s corner to the net.
After playing second fiddle in the first-half, Rovers were the better side after the break.
Mylie Fortune was incredibly unlucky not to put his side ahead when his shot cracked the underside of the bar, hit goalkeeper Brian Whelan and somehow stayed out.
Later in the half substitute Maxwell Shoyeju picked up possession on the right edge of the box and curled a succulent effort off the frame of the goal with Whelan beaten.
Extra-time was probably a fair outcome but there only ever looked one winner after the kick-off.
Two minutes into the first-half of overtime, Whelan sent a half-volley across goal to the net after Czernik’s free-kick was initially blocked by the wall.
The clincher came five minutes later, and this time it was Cormac Hamill who cut across the face of goal and fired home to wrap up the cup for St. Jospeh’s.
St. Joseph’s: Brian Whelan; Edward Harney, Jason Wallace (capt.), Jack Twomey; Conor Keane, Jamie McDonald, Brendan Tobin, Adam Doyle, Eoin Gahan; Nikodem Czernik, Tomás Whelan. Subs. - Corben Browne for Whelan (25), Whelan for Keane (53), Cormac Hamill for McDonald (70), Ben Furlong for Hamill (87), Harry Murphy for Czernik (88), Keane for Gahan (90), also John Burke, Harry Murphy.
Shamrock Rovers: Jamie Fitzpatrick; Conor Holloway, Gary Kennedy, George Spencer, Jamie Keeley (joint capt.); Seán Fitzpatrick, Jamie Donnelly, Darragh Farrell, Tadhg English; Mikey Webster, Mylie Fortune (joint capt.). Subs. - Jason Ogwueleka for Holloway (36), Maxwell Shoyeju for Kennedy (57), Holloway for Ogwueleka (78), Eoin McGrath for Farrell (86), Shadrach Onwubiko for English (87), Luke Boxwell for S. Fitzpatrick (88), also Ben Keeley, Jack Kearney, Killian Murphy, Jeff Buckley.
Referee: Anthony Tobin.