Roundwood come through penalties to progress
Ballywaltrim knocked out after a penalty shoot-out
ROUNDWOOD AFC emerged victorious over Ballywaltrim F.C. after an entertaining first 90 minutes which ended 2-2.
Neither team could break the deadlock in extra-time as Roundwood ran out eventual winners via a penalty shoot-out on a 2-4 score line in this Wicklow Cup first round tie.
Ballywaltrim Recreational Park was the venue as Division 2 side Roundwood scored a goal either side of half-time to storm into a commanding two-goal lead.
However, the home side, who sit a league below their opponents, displayed dogged battling qualities which saw them force the tie to extra-time and then penalties. Yet this was in vain as Roundwood secured their place in the second round of the cup.
This game was a slow burner which took both teams a while to settle into. Few clear-cut chances fell to either side in the opening 30 minutes. Ballywaltrim started slightly the brighter. The home side won a series of corners in the opening 10 minutes but these evented to little.
While Ballywaltrim held the majority of the possession in the opening period, Roundwood found relief through the many fantastic solo runs of Robin Byrne who put in a man of the match display as he regularly threatened the Ballywaltrim back four on the wing, and through the middle when he drifted inside to combine with his teammates.
Roundwood were beginning to grow into the game, and on 36 minutes, Byrne was heavily involved again as Declan Carstairs opened the scoring.
After a marauding run on the right wing, Byrne pulled the ball low across the box and after a scramble, Carstairs slotted home low to the right of Ballywaltrim goalkeeper Lee Moloney.
In added time of the first-half Robin Byrne almost doubled his teams lead from 30 yards out when he hit a swinging shot which bounced just in front of Moloney, however, the keeper gathered the ball on the second attempt to keep his side in the game. At half-time the game was tipped in Roundwood’s favour as they led 0-1.
The second half was just three minutes old when Roundwood looked to have killed the game off. A lapse in concentration in the Ballywaltrim defence allowed Declan Carstairs to charge goalward, Moloney came out to meet the attack as Carstairs selflessly squared the ball to Robbie Eyre who slotted home just inside the box to make the score 0-2.
Ballywaltrim never gave up and their response to going two goals down was superb.
They attacked regularly through Ross Hughes who never gave the visiting defence a minute and while Hughes didn’t score, he was influential in kick-starting his sides comeback.
56 minutes were gone when Hughes was fouled inside the box by Ciaran Kenny, referee Dominic Lauchesse pointed directly to the penalty spot.
Up stepped Kevin Cowan who calmly slotted low and to the right of Roundwood ‘keeper Peter Byrne.
With the wind in their sales, a revitalised Ballywaltrim took the game by the scruff of the neck, although Robin Byrne still threatened on the break.
Roundwood defended resolutely with the central defensive duo of Ciaran Kenny and Andy Carstairs doing well to limit Ballywaltrim to shots from distance.
However, just nine minutes remained when all of their good work was undone. Kevin Cowan stood up and delivered a fantastic free-kick from just inside the Roundwood half, the ball found the head of defender Gavin Harris who equalised, Harris’ header clattered off the post before he poked home the rebound into the bottom right corner.
Extra-time loomed with the score level at 2-2, neither team really fancied pressing for a winner through fear of gifting the other side a chance on the break. The game lost its spark as both sides settled for a draw.
Extra-time consists of 10 minutes per half in the Wicklow league, the additional time seemed to have tired out both sets of players who to their credit had competed fiercely for the original 90 minutes. The two halves of extra-time saw few chances, Roundwood substitute Keane Murphy cracked a volley just over the top right corner in the dying minutes, although the ball was always rising.
After 110 minutes of football, it seemed cruel that a penalty shootout would decide the fate of these two evenly matched teams.
Roundwood won the toss and their captain Robbie Eyre opted for his side to go first.
Tony Conway stepped up first for Roundwood and missed as he hit the crossbar. The momentum was now with Ballywaltrim, and initially it looked like they had taken advantage.
Kevin Cowan stepped up to take his second penalty of the game and sent the keeper the wrong way to make it 1-0 to the home side.
Up next was Robbie Eyre who kept levelled proceedings, his penalty wasn’t particularly well hit however it struck the left-hand post and crept in. 1-1.
Tom Cowan put Ballywaltrim back in the lead with a well-executed strike to the right of Peter Byrne. 2-1
Roundwood substitute Ger Byrne sent Moloney the wrong way to level up proceedings. 2-2
Peter Byrne proved to be the hero for Roundwood as he saved two Ballywaltrim penalties in a row, first he denied Cory Byrne, when he dived superbly to his right, Robin Byrne then put the away team ahead, 2-3.
Goalkeeper Byrne then saved from Ciaran Dunne, the Ballywaltrim captain put his penalty straight down the middle and Byrne saved well to set up Andy Carstairs for the winner, Carstairs struck towards the bottom left corner to win the game for Roundwood.
Both sides played well and will feel they could have won this game, special mentions must go to Ciaran Dunne of Ballywaltrim who performed amicably despite missing a penalty, Ross Hughes also impressed for the home team.
However, the duo of Byrnes’ proved the difference for Roundwood as Robin Byrne’s man of the match display and Peter Byrne’s shoot-out heroics proved the difference on the day.
Ballywaltrim F.C.: 1. Lee Moloney, 2. Ciaran Dunne, 3. Kevin Cowan, 4. Tony Kiernan, 5. Gavin Harris, 6. Jamie Doyle, 7. Cory Byrne, 8. Ross O’Brien, 9. Shane Dunne, 10. Tom Cowan, 11. Ross Hughes. Subs: 12. Eamon Cleary, 13. Dane Ormonde, 14. Stephen Murphy, 15. Mark Flanagan.
Roundwood AFC: 1. Peter Byrne, 2. Sean Healy, 3. Ross Browne, 4. Ciaran Kenny, 5. Andy Carstairs, 6. Declan Carstairs, 7. Robin Byrne, 8. Damo Johnson, 9. Robbie Eyre, 10. Tony Conway, 11. Jay Kavanagh. Subs: 12. Ger Byrne, 13. Jason Byrne, 14. Brian Eyre, 15. Keane Murphy, 16. PJ Toner.