The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Listowel out on penalties
FAI JUNIOR CUP SECOND ROUND
IT was mixed fortunes for Kerry teams in action in the FAI Junior Cup at the weekend and because there was two all-Kerry clashes two teams had to make their exit while two were guaranteed a passage into the next round.
Classic FC and CG Killarney came out of the 2-2 Kerry clashes while Killarney Celtic, Fenit and Castleisland are in the hat for the next round as well as Killarney Athetic and Castlegregory who got byes in the second round.
Unfortunately Listowel Celtic and Mitchels Avenue both went out on penalties while Mastergeeha, Inter Kenmare, Ballyheigue Athetic, Tralee Celtic Dingle Bay Rovers and Tralee Dynamos lost their games also.
Listowel Celtic 0 Abbeyfeale United 0 (Abbeyfeale Utd won 4-3 on penalties)
LISTOWEL Celtic bowed out of the FAI Junior Cup in the cruelist of fashion at Pat Kennedy Park on Sunday losing in a penalty shoot out to Abbeyfeale United after the game ended scoreless after 90 minutes and extra time.
This was a game that never lived up to its billing with a strong wind making conditions very difficult for players.
Consequently the game was devoid of any type of decent football with a lot of fouling and scrappy play.
While the visitors bossed the game they could never break down an excellent Listowel Celtic defence where Kevin McCarthy and Seamus Keane were excellent.
It was a game in which neither goalie had too much to do and scoring chances were few and far between.
Abbeyfeale had the assistance of the wind in the first half and looked the likelier side to score
The first decent chance to score in the game fell to Abbeyfeale after 17 minutes when Pa O’Connor got in behind the Celtic defence but with only the keeper to beat he shot wide.
The visitors went close again in the 37th minute when Gavin Dillon set up Pa O’Connor but just as he was about to pull the trigger he was denied by superb block tackle by Kevin McCarthy.
Celtic should have gone ahead just before half time when Ian Murphy eluded the Abbeyfeale defence and with just the keeper to beat he shot wide.
Abbeyfeale made a change at the start of the second half with Eoin Joy replacing Fiachra Cotter
As the half wore on and very few chances to score both sides played cautiously but Celtic could have stole the game at the every end when Ashley Kelliher played in Ian Murphy but the Abbeyfeale goalie made a great block to deny him.
Abbeyfeale were only a lick of paint away from scoring right before full time when Pa O’Connor latched on to a Thomas Smith corner kick but he was denied by a great save by Celtic keeper Darragh O’Shea pushing the shot on to the butt of the post and it was scrambled away by the Celtic defence.
With the game deadlocked after 90 minutes it progressed to extra time.
Again Celtic had a wonderful chance to win the game in the final minute of extra time when Ian Murphy was in one on one with the Abbeyfeale goalie but from 8 yards he shot straight at him and he made a great block.
With the game still deadlocked it progressed to the penalty shoot out. Chris Smith took the first penalty for Abbeyfeale and scored. Celtic keeper Darragh O’Shea then converted his. Then Abbeyfeale’s Gavin Dillon saw his spot kick come back off the crossbar. Eddie Joe Walsh then scored for Listowel.
Cormac Roche scored for Abbeyfeale and Cormac Mulvihill put away his for Celtic to put Celtic ahead 3-2.
Celtic sub Damien Murphy sent the Abbeyfeale goalie the wrong way but he stuck out a leg and deflected the ball over the bar.
Pa O’Connor scored for Abbeyfeale to make it 3-3.
Ashley Kelliher took Celtic’s last penalty but he put it over the top and now Abbeyfeale just needed their final penalty converted to win the game.
Their goalie Billy Quirke scored in emphatic fashion to win the game.
While Abbeyfeale were worthy winners at the end Listowel Celtic had the two best chances of scoring in the game. LISTOWEL CELTIC: Darragh O’Shea, Tommy Keane (Damien Murphy, 83 mins), Seamus Keane, Kevin McCarthy, Neil Mackessey, Darren Loughnane, (Brendan Angland 85 mins).Cormac Mulvihill, Joe Joe Grimes (Jack Sheehan, 65 mins), Ashley Kelliher, Paul O’Connor (Eddie Joe Walsh, 65 mins), Ian Murphy.
ABBEYFEALE UNITED: Billy Quirke, Mike Kelliher, Gavin Dillon, Cormac Roche, Chris Smith, Darren Keane, Fiachra Cotter (Eoin Joy, 46 mins), Joe Kelliher, Pa O’Connor, Jamie O’Connor (Thomas Sexton, 59 mins), Thomas Smith.
REFEREE: Adrian Quirke