IT come from behind to secure semi-final spot
IT SLIGO
TU DUBLIN BLANCH 5 2
THE IT Sligo senior men’s team are through to the semi-finals of the CUFL after they recorded rousing victory over TU Dublin Blanchardstown at IT Sligo last Wednesday.
IT Sligo went into the Premier Division Quarter Final against TUDBC knowing a win would take them to the semi-finals for the first time in the new league format.
Sligo started the game brightly pressing TUDBC high and creating a number of chances in the first half, the first coming after a great cross from the energetic James McGrath found Jeremiah Idahor at the back post but for his header to go straight at the TUDBC netminder.
Next up was Darren Collins whose shot from distance just went wide.
The set plays from Brian Kavanagh were causing all sorts of problems for their opponents and Oisín O’Reilly was next up to see his shot just go over the bar and soon after Mark Byrne tried his luck from distance but for the TUDBC keep to tip over.
Then against the run of play TUDBC took the lead on 35minutes after a long ball over the top found the leading scorer in the League of Ireland first division last year Rob Manley to slot past the Sligo netminder Jason Quinn.
Soon after he made it 2 when he slotted home a penalty on 45minutes.
Just before the half time whistle, IT Sligo pulled 1 back when a free from Kavanagh found the excellent Ben Treanor to head home at the back post.
HT IT Sligo 1-2 TUDBC
The second half saw Sligo up their gears and after 55minutes were level when a corner from Kavanagh found Mark Byrne at the back post whose overhead kick flew into the top corner 2-2.
On top now and controlling possession, Scott Lynch was fouled and the resulting Kavanagh free-kick saw Byrne make it 3-2 to the home side.
Five minutes later Norris Beya and Byrne combined to find Collins in space on the left who cut inside and buried an excellent team move into the top corner of the Dublin side to make it 4-2.
TUDBC now changed their shape and went all out to try and get back into the game but were caught on the counter-attack when Ronan Gallager found Gary Higgins to ran from his own half and dinked a glorious finish into the net to make it 5-2.
FT IT Sligo 5-2 TUDBC
Next up is the CFAI Rustler Cup Semi-Final v WIT at 2pm on Tuesday the 18th of Eebruary at IT Sligo’s Knocknarea sports arena.
IT Sligo starting team; Jason Quinn, Ryan Norris, Scott Lynch, Oisín O’Reilly, Ben Treanor, Brian Kavanagh, James McGrath, Dan Beya, Jeremiah Idahor, Mark Byrne, Darren Collins. Ronan Gallagher for Idahor 60 Gary Higgins for Collins 65 Ryan O’Reilly for Byrne 70 Roland Anderson for Lynch 82 Darren Somers for Beya 85 Subs not used, Trevor Martin and Brandon Manues.