Cup exits allow champs to focus on retaining title
10-man Bellurgan bow out
BELLURGAN suffered their third successive defeat to bow out of the FAI Junior Cup, having already been knocked out of the Leinster Junior Cup.
However, despite being short handed and having goalkeeper Robert Arthur sent off after only a quarter of an hour and playing with a player short for the rest of the match they twice had victory within their grasp only to let it slip.
They should have had the tie wrapped up in the opening 15 minutes. They started brightly and went a goal in front after ten minutes when Daniel McDonald whipped a lovely cross to the back post for Barry Carr to take a touch and shoot right-footed into the roof the net.
A minute later the striker should have doubled his side’s advantage when he found himself with only the goalkeeper to beat, but this time his chipped effort sailed well over the crossbar from ten yards.
Another great chance fell to Ciaran Sheelan, but the goalkeeper managed to divert his shot with his foot out for a corner.
Then the first of the big junctures in the game occurred with Arthur was forced to rush out of his goal with his defence split open and brought down an opponent. The referee issued him with a red card as well as awarding a spot kick, which was struck against the inside of the Bellurgan post and rebounded back out and was cleared.
But Bellurgan failed to make the most of the let-off, conceding a goal on the stroke of half-time for the second game in a row to leave it level pegging.
The home side defiantly regained the lead from a lovely piece of football ten minutes into the second-half. Stephen Finnegan found Ciaran Sheelan on the right and the latter raced past his marker to whip a cross into the box for the in-running Brian White to smash it first time into the net.
Ten minutes later Bellurgan once again squandered a golden opportunity to take a tight hold on the tie. Stephen Finnegan struck a pinpoint free-kick from the right into the six yard box, but Barr Carr completely missed the ball with his head to make it 3-1.
Galling for Bellurgan they conceded twice in rather soft fashion in the last ten minutes, with the visitors third goal summing up their misfortune with substitute Daniel O’Connor conceding an own goal when an attempted clearance rebounded off him into his own net. BELLURGAN: Robert Arthur (David McDonald 15), Aoghan McGuinness, Daragh Lafferty, Emmet Rogan , John Smith, Brian White , Stephen Finnegan, Shane Finnegan, Ciaran Sheelan, Barr Carr (Daniel O’Connor 70).
MUIRHEVNAMOR USHER CELTIC 1 3
IT’S now three games without a win for the North East champions as they made their exit from the FAI Junior Cup on Sunday on their home ground to AUL opponents Usher Celtic.
This follows their defeat the previous Sunday to Mullingar Athletic in the Leinster Senior Cup, and being held to a draw in the league by near neighbours Quay Celtic days beforehand.
Some consolation is that their removal from the two knockout competition will allow them concentrate on the defence of their title, which they have started indifferently with a win, a draw and a defeat in the three games they have played.
However, with a couple of games in hand on the leaders they can move into close contention.
Getting a squad out though seems to be a problem on Sundays, another example being this tie which they finished with ten players after Sean Conlon who was introduced with five minutes left was injured and had to come off. They had only one other substitute Conor Gorman who they had already used.
Against the calibre of opposition they were playing it was a potential handicap, and as it transpired in a closely contested affair the visitors sealed their place in the next round by scor- Karl Lynam, Usher Celtic is beaten by a fine Billy Smith strike.
ing their third goal in stoppage time.
It didn’t help the losers cause that a number of key players had an off day, including striker Billy Smith whose goals were so important in winning the league last season.
Although he was the team’s scorer, he wasted a number of good scoring opportunities in the first-half which proved costly in the end.
Usher took the lead over half
way through the opening period, but Smith cancelled that goal out five minutes from the break. Usher then caught the home side napping by taking a corner kick quickly and this led to the visitors regaining the lead ten minutes into the second period. MUIRHEVNAMOR: Michael Cooney, Brian Begley, Chris Caulfield, Philip Duffy, Steven Smith, Mickey O’Kane (Conor Gorman),Thomas McShane ( Sean Conlon), Brendan Hughes, Gary Clarke, Billy Smith, Tiarnan Mulvenna.