Perfect ten for North End
Super Sky Blues turn on the style against St. Joseph’s
NORTH END defied the windy conditions to put on a show against St. Joseph’s in the third round of the Creane and Creane Wexford Cup in Hollygrove on Sunday morning.
The hosts were five up at the break, took their foot off the pedal for long spells of the second-half, but were able to turn it on in the last 15 minutes and ease away from a Kilmuckridge side that battled hard throughout.
Despite postponements across the board this past weekend, both clubs agreed to go ahead with this tie and it was the correct decision.
Considering the weather, the pitch was in remarkable shape and is a testament to the work the North End club has put into the playing surface in the last couple of years.
They say the wind is a great leveller, but United didn’t buy into such conventional wisdom.
They got the ball down on the deck and looked to work their openings, prising the Division 3 high-flyers apart with precision passing and the quality of their runs in behind.
While the scoreline didn’t flatter North End, St. Joseph’s played their part too.
There was no lack of effort and, admirably albeit maybe a little naively, they tried to play football on the floor, but there’s obviously a vast difference in quality between sides separated by 34 spots in the league ladder, and it showed.
The home side enjoyed themselves against the breeze in the opening half.
Their midfielders were able to get into pockets of space inside the St. Joseph’s half and do absolutely anything they wanted. Whether low through balls, or little dinked chips, it all held up on the wind.
United nearly got through in the opening minute but Barry Byrne came out to smother the ball at the feet of Paul ‘Spot’ Murphy.
Still, the opening goal didn’t take long to arrive, as five minutes later Murphy slid the ball to Kyle Dempsey on the right and he drilled low across goal to the bottom left corner.
Seán Keane’s 25-yarder forced a low save from Noel Heffernan in the North End goal eight minutes in, but it proved to be the lone St. Joseph’s effort on target in the first-half as the hosts took complete control.
It was 2-0 after twelve minutes. Adam Beary’s trickery caused problems on the left throughout the opening half, and when he was fouled the whole situation was set up perfectly for Shane Dempsey.
The former Wexford Youths midfielder is known for his long-range shooting ability, and he showed it again with the finish, a controlled wallop into the top right corner of Byrne’s net.
Of the first-half goals, St. Joseph’s will probably be most disappointed with the third, as Beary was able to cut back from close to the byline and fire home without really being put under enough pressure.
North End had other chances, including an Alan Rhodes shot off the foot of the post, but they did make it 4-0 on the half-hour mark when Shane Dempsey dinked the ball into the path of Warren Broaders, and he coolly chipped his finish over the onrushing Byrne.
Right on the stroke of half-time, North End made it five.
Dempsey might have been tempted to try a shot from a 30yard free-kick, but he left the deadball up to John Lester and it proved an inspired decision as the holding midfielder’s chipped free broke off Byrne and Robin Dempsey tapped home the rebound.
With the foot off the gas for North End, St. Joseph’s gave as good as they got in the third quarter and deserved their 65th-minute goal.
Gary O’Leary caressed a lovely free-kick into the area and impressive youngster David Smith poked it home. The goal seemed to kick North End back into action and they finished in a flurry of goals.
Shane Dempsey headed in his side’s sixth from a Niall Connolly cross before Kyle Dempsey notched his second from Lester’s feed.
When Paul Murphy was fouled in the area in the 81st minute, Kyle Dempsey clipped the spot-kick off the post.
Alan Rhodes did make it 8-1 from just outside the right edge of the area one minute later.
Kyle Dempsey completed his hat-trick from another Connolly assist in the 84th minute.
Moments after clattering the post, Shane Dempsey nabbed his treble goal and completed the scoring with another cracker from distance to see North End safely into the last 16 in style.
NORTH END UNITED: Noel Heffernan; Warren Broaders, Craig McCabe, Robin Dempsey, Tony Crosbie; John Lester; Kyle Dempsey, Alan Rhodes, Shane Dempsey, Adam Beary; Paul ‘Spot’ Murphy (capt.). Subs. - Paul Murphy (Kilmore) for P. Murphy (46), Niall Connolly for Beary (46), Lee Walker for Heffernan (46), also Gary Dempsey, Lee Wadding.
ST. JOSEPH’S: Barry Byrne; Ian O’Reilly, David Meleady, David Smith, Keith Kavanagh; Seán Keane (capt.), Conor O’Leary, Gary O’Leary, Cormac Byrne, Lee Cullen; Des Mythen. Subs. - Eoin McNulty for Kavanagh, inj. (17), Dillon McEvoy for Byrne (56), Anthony Donohoe for Cullen (67).
REFEREE: Seamus Kelly.