Duleek make last eight

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DULEEK progressed to the quarter-finals of the O’Neill’s LFA Junior Cup on Saturday afternoon after overcoming a very physical Sandyhill Shangan side on penalty kicks.

It was the away side who started the brighter, with Sean Kennedy and Cormac Reid both going close with chances in the opening 10 minutes. However, it was none other than Duleek’s talisman Barry Kavanagh who broke the deadlock in spectacular fashion on the half-hour mark, beating the home keeper with an unstoppable free kick from 25 yards.

Both sides had a number of half-chances in the second half, with chances falling to Kavanagh, who struck the crossbar, Bryan Murphy and Jamie Flaherty for the away side.

Duleek were to rue these missed chances when Sandyhill equalised with 10 minutes remaining despite what they felt was a foul on Flaherty in the build-up. The home side were then awarded what looked to them like a soft penalty in the 92nd minute, but justice seemed to be done when the spot kick was blazed over the bar.

Extra time passed with little threat from either side as both camps prepared themselves for a nail-biting penalty shootout and it was Duleek who held their nerve, with Kavanagh, Darren Mills, Flaherty and Murphy all scoring before Robbie Daly