The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
The Park win on penalties
MUNSTER YOUTHS CUP QUARTER FINAL Freebooters 1 (Kilkenny) The Park 1
(The Park won 5-4 on penalties) THE Park’s Youths team reached dizzy heights in Kilkenny on Sunday when they advanced to the semi-final of the FAI Youths Cup after a magnificent win over Freebooters FC in a pulsating quarter-final game.
They came into this game after losing a number of players to the Kerry under 17 team, but they showed they have plenty of other players to fill their boots and they won this game in most dramatic fashion.
This was a thrilling game packed with entertaining football and was on a knife edge right up to the final whistle. The Park went ahead after 25 minutes after Mervyn Shalemba threaded through a great ball to Conor O’Brien and he applied a superb finish. The Park went in 1-0 ahead at the interval.
The home side brought the match back to parity 10 minutes into the second half and the game now was very delicately balanced. For the remainder of the game both sides done their best to try and engineer a winner but it failed to materialise and with the sides deadlocked after 90 minutes it progressed to extra-time.
Neither side was able to break the deadlock in extra time so it went to a dreaded penalty shoot out. In a tension charged atmosphere The Park were faultless in the shoot-out and their goalie Conor Hayes became the hero making the vital penalty save in the lottery to see his team emerge victorious.
This was a phenomenal achievement for The Park in the circumstances after losing key players to the Kerry under 17 squad and it clearly shows the strength of their panel of players.
The Tralee side won’t have much time to rest on their laurals this great FAI Cup win as they travel to Waterford next Sunday where they play Dungarvan United in the semi final of the Munster Youths Cup.
The winner of this game will meet Cork side Douglas Hall in the final.
FAI Youth Cup
IN the draw for the FAI Youth Cup semi-final The Park has got a hugely appealing game when they take on the might of St Kevin Boys of Dublin at Christy Leahy Park. This game will be played on the weekend of April 8 and should attract a huge crowd. In the other semi-final Kilfrush Crusaders (Limerick) play Tramore AFC (Waterford).