Avonmore progress in the LFA Youths Cup
McGraynor hits hat-trick in a five-star performance
IF Avonmore’s Oisin McGraynor shows the same ambition in life as he does when it comes to shooting for goal then the lofty attacker is in for some exciting adventure.
Willing and able to wind up and launch missiles from any distance and any angle, the youngest of a talented band of brothers bagged a hat-trick to help Avonmore to a 5-0 victory over County Wexford side Tombrack United in the LFA Youths Cup second round at Pat O’Toole Park on Saturday afternoon last.
An unstoppable strike from distance from McGraynor opened the scoring midway through the first half and then Tombrack suffered a double blow when Alan Carton was deemed to have handled the ball deliberately in the box and as well as McGraynor netting the spot-kick, the visitors were also down to 10 men with Carton being shown a red card from referee David Jameson.
As suggested by the final score, Tombrack were under considerable pressure for periods in this game.
A bobbly surface and an opposition that possessed a potent attack and a sturdy midfield made the County Wexford side’s visit to the Garden county a less than enjoyable one for the most part.
Daniel Nolan was called into action early on in the Tombrack goal when he stooped to gather a sweetly struck Jack Manley effort from just outside the box.
The early Avonmore pressure was constant and Dale Fluskey called Nolan into the fray again moments later and the Tombrack netminder was equal to the challenge.
The visitors did have some half chances in that opening period with Michael Fitzgerald making Aidan Murray work in the Avonmore goal at one stage.
But a goal was always coming and the man who looked most likely to bag that opener was Avonmore’s McGraynor.
For a big strong young man McGraynor has a lovely pair of feet.
Mark Cullen sent in a dinky little pass from the wing where Jack Manley helped it on to the waiting McGraynor.
Tombrack’s Mickey Roche tried to close the Avonmore man down but McGraynor’s touch was sweet and it sat up perfectly for that lethal left foot and he roasted it into the bottom right corner of the Tombrack net giving Daniel Nolan absolutely no chance with 25 minutes on the clock.
Despite battling bravely, Tombrack just couldn’t maintain possession long enough or exert any sort of dominance on the game in any sector meaning that between the 25th and 34th minute – when Avonmore grabbed their second goal – Daniel Nolan’s goal was under all sorts of pressure, with three Avonmore corners in a row giving the visitors’s defence plenty of work to do.
It was from the third of these corners that the penalty arrived. A sweet inswinger met the head of McGraynor who directed it down towards the bottom left corner where Michael Fitzgerald was positioned.
The ball was blocked on the line but referee David Jameson’s whistle sounded immediately and his red card was flashed and he pointed straight to the penalty spot.
McGraynor, with bright green boots, fired low and hard to Nolan’s right and despite guessing correctly the Tombrack keeper was unable to keep out the strike and things were looking very difficult for the County Wexford side who are currently sitting in fourth spot in the Wexford Youths Division 3 league.
That’s how it remained at the break when Tombrack sent in Aidan Mahon and Josh McMullan for the second half in a bid to spark some sort of revival and for a time the visitors did cause the home team some problems with Josh McMullan having one of the better chances only to see his shot blocked by Liam Dickenson.
A handball from William Dunne which referee David Jameson ruled to be inside the box allowed McGraynor the chance of his hat-trick after 78 minutes and he duly obliged with a fine shot, beating goalkeeper Nolan who again guessed right and almost got the full hand to it.
It was all over bar the shouting at this stage and Avonmore added goals from Dale Fluskey and substitute Daniel Hagen to complete the 5-0 rout and put an end to what was miserable trip to the Garden county for the young men of Tombrack.
The win keeps a sweet winning streak going for the Avonmore lads.
With eight wins from eight in the John Tobin Youth league and Saturday’s fine victory the talented outfit can put the feet up over the Christmas breakand look forward to what could be a very prosperous New Year indeed!