Blues shoot down Town to progress in FAI Cup
NORTH EAST FOOTBALL LEAGUE
MUIRHEVNAMOR DROGHEDA TOWN 2 0
MUIRHEVNAMOR advanced to the sixth round of the FAI Junior Cup at the expense of nine-man Drogheda Town on Friday night.
The Leinster Senior League outfit were reduced to nine players in the second-half, but managed to dominate a large chunk of the play after the first period had ended goalless at the Muirhevnamor Astro.
Despite playing below par Muirhevnamor ensured their name was in the hat for the next round with a Tiarnan Mulvenna penalty and a late Colin Finan strike.
Town lost their second player of the night in the penalty incident when Stephen Doran was adjudged to have blocked a Billy Smith effort on the line with his hand and Mulvenna drove the spot-kick to the top corner.
The first dismissal arrived just after the break when Andy Hickey was shown a straight red card for kicking out off the ball.
Far from giving the impetus to the home side, Town looked the side with the extra player, as the home side kept giving away possession, and couldn’t find any rhythm to their play.
However, the complexion of the game changed dramatically when Martin Smith forced his way to the end line on the left and hooked the ball across the box to Billy Smith with just over an hour played.
The latter on his own met it powerfully on the volley, and Doran blocked it on the line with his goalkeeper stranded.
The referee deemed that he did so with his arm, and produced red for the second time, much to dismay of the visitors who felt the ball had crept out of play prior to Smith’s cross and also that the ball struck Dorna on the chest, and not the arm.
Still Muirhevnamor struggled to make their now increased numerical advantage count. Although shortly afterwards Billy Smith passed up a clear chance to clinch victory. On his own in plenty of space from a pass Tiernan Mulvenna of Muirhevnamór gets his head to the ball as Ciarán Cluskey-Kelly challenges for Drogheda Town. Pictures: Ken Finegan
into the box by substitute Vinny Smith he shot across goal from a tight angle.
Town still remained with hope of salvaging a draw, causing a couple of anxious moments in the Muirhevnamor box, but they wasted a great chance to take the lead before the penalty incident.
But then in a lightning breakaway Colin Finan, who also was introduced as a substitute, sealed victory.
With most of the Town team pushed forward in search of an equaliser, they were open at the back, and Finan from near half way pushed the ball forward to Vinny Smith in space who raced to the edge of the penalty box on the right.
He then laid it back across a gaping goal for the in-running Finn to knock the return pass into the net.
Despite creating precious few chances in the opening half both sides would have been disappointed not to open the scoring.
Muirhevnamor spurned a
chance in the first minute and despite being on the back for for the opening 20 minutes, Drogheda Town also wasted a great opportunity when Darren Kavanagh was put through one on one with the keeper only to see his effort well saved.
The home side really should have taken the lead late in the half when Town goalkeeper Evin Farrell was dispossessed by Tiernan Mulvenna as he prepared to launch a kick-out.
While everybody waited on the referees whistle Mulvenna didn’t stand on ceremony and took it round the keeper, only to somehow shoot wide. MUIRHEVNAMOR: Michael Cooney, Brian Begley, Robbie Gavigan, Jimmy Cooney, Nathan Murphy (Adrian Rafferty 63), Philip Duffy, Cody Magill (Thomas McShane 70), Gary Clarke (Philip Hughes 80), Billy Smith (Colin Finan 80), Tiernan Mulvenna, Martin Smith (Vinny Smith 63).
DROGHEDA TOWN: Evin Farrell, Stephen Doran, Andy Hickey, Ciaran Cluskey Kelly, Dave McTeggart, Dean Haggins, Sam Reilly, Marty Walsh, Dale Harding, Darren Kavanagh, Roy Kierans. Subs: Sanele Duma, Stephen Hevey, Ross Reid, Vinny O Hare.