ABBEYFEALE SQUEEZE THROUGH IN EPIC
By Frank Nelligan

Munster Junior Cup, 4th Round

Abbeyfeale United (2) …………………………………2 (D. Roche 1, John Kelliher 17)
Rearcross (2) ………………………………………….2 (P.J. McLoughlin 29, E. Steed 31) (aet Abbeyfeale United won 10-9 pens)

In Riverside Park last Sunday, Abbeyfeale United and Rearcross from Tipperary produced a thriller in the 4th round of the Munster Junior Cup. Actual playing time was exciting enough, with four goals shared, but it was in the penalty shoot-out that the tie reached epic proportions, with Abbeyfeale United winning 10-9 on penalties. There was little indication of the drama to come when Abbeyfeale United took a 2-0 lead inside the opening seventeen minutes. The opener came in the first minute, David Roche scoring from ten yards after receiving a cutback from Paul Doherty who had been released up the line by a perfect pass from Denis Fitzgerald. Skipper John Kelliher bagged the second, heading home at the near post from a pacy Joe Weir corner. In between those two goals, Abbeyfeale United were grateful to goalkeeper Billy Quirke for magnificently tipping over a shot that was destined for the roof of the net. Apart from that, Abbeyfeale United were well on top as the game entered the second quarter. Joe Weir was producing moments of brilliance on the right side of midfield but the key players behind Abbeyfeale’s dominance were central midfielders, Joe Kelliher and Denis Fitzgerald, whose partnership in that position goes back to the time when they were u-12s. As well as playing some constructive football, as his part in the opener illustrates, Fitzgerald imposed himself physically on the game, one tough but fair challenge on the sideline being an example. However, it was Kelliher who was everybody’s choice as man of the match. He looked the complete midfielder: tackling, covering and getting out of tight situations with balletic close control, while the range of his passing was impeccable. What’s more, he maintained his supercharged performance right until the dying minutes of extra-time when his exertions began to take a toll. Any notions of a comfortable victory for the home team were dispelled when Rearcross pulled a goal back in the 29th minute, P.J. McLoughlin flashing a header past goalkeeper Billy Quirke from a super corner by Kevin Mullins. The visitors were level two minutes later when Emmet Steed shot on the turn inside the far post. Rearcross went on to dominate the remainder of the half and Abbeyfeale, very much on the ropes, were extremely glad to hear Donie O’Gorman’s half-time whistle. With both sides having shown an ability to dominate, it was going to be interesting to see who would come out strongest in the second-half. That proved to be Abbeyfeale United, who had been beaten in Dublin by Shangan Athletic in the FAI Junior Cup before Christmas after leading 2-0 early on and were determined that the same wouldn’t happen again. The home team put continuous pressure on the Rearcross defence, in which former Limerick Senior footballer, Diarmuid Sheehy, excelled. Rearcross defended with such tenacity that it was hard to break them down but, by sheer persistence, Abbeyfeale did so on a few occasions, only to be denied by goalkeeper Sean Sheehy, who made some vital saves, his acrobatic stop from Barry Sheehy’s header being the pick of the bunch. Sheehy’s header, in the 73rd minute, came from a corner by his older brother, Kevin, who had come on as a substitute for flu victim, Roche, a few minutes earlier. The elder Sheehy added something different to Abbeyfeale, linking up play with his intelligent one-touch football. Both sides kept things pretty tight in extra-time. Abbeyfeale’s back four of John Maurice O’Connor (replaced for the second period by Jonathan Flynn), Seamus Lenihan, John Kelliher and Seanie Gleeson played sensibly, as did the Rearcross rearguard, neither side wishing to concede a goal with so little time left. So it was onto the never-to-be-forgotten penalty shoot-out. Abbeyfeale went first and got off to a good start when the power of John Kelliher’s shot was sufficient to beat Sheehy, who got a hand to it. Better was to come for Abbeyfeale when Quirke saved Rearcross’ first penalty, taken by Nigel Ryan. The next two penalties were both converted, Kevin Sheehy for Abbeyfeale and Kevin Mullins for Rearcross. Seanie Gleeson was the next man to make the long walk up and he kept his effort on target but Sheehy made a good save. The sides were level when Sean Mullins converted a few seconds later. Incredibly, the next fifteen spot-kicks were all successful and, even more amazingly, the quality of the penalties, like the wine at the Wedding Feast of Cana, got better as proceedings progressed. Somehow, players who were reluctant in the centre-circle were energised by the time they reached the penalty spot. One by one, the players emerged successful and relieved from their trial by penalty. The accuracy of Thomas Collins, Paul Doherty, Seamus Lehihan, Joe Weir, Billy Quirke, Denis Fitzgerald and Joe Kelliher was matched by Tommy Ryan, Damien Mullins, Eamonn Davitt, Diarmuid Sheehy, P.J. McLoughlin (off the post), Simon Kennedy and Liam Ryan. So, it was down to the last man standing on each side, Jonathan Flynn for Abbeyfeale and goalkeeper Sean Sheehy for Rearcross. Flynn, a reluctant taker if ever there was one, overcame any nerves he may have had and struck the ball sweetly into the bottom corner. If Sheehy had scored in reply, players who had already taken a penalty would have been called to service again but the goalkeeper fired wide of the left-hand post, the only one of the twenty-two takers to miss the target. Abbeyfeale’s pent-up emotion immediately burst like a dam and, as usually happens in these situations, their goalkeeper became the focal point of their exuberance, with the result that Quirke was soon buried under a mass of delirious team-mates. Rearcross were gutted at the manner of the defeat, as Abbeyfeale would have been if roles had been reversed, but the Tipperary men can be proud of their efforts on the field and also of their supporters, who were louder than the home fans in their encouragement. Abbeyfeale United can empathise with Rearcross as they have been on the wrong side of penalty shoot-out verdicts themselves, most notably in 2003 when they were beaten by Portmarnock in the last 16 of the FAI Junior Cup. The reward for Abbeyfeale United is a home tie against Lisselton Rovers in the last 16 on the weekend of 23-25 February.

Abbeyfeale United: Billy Quirke, John Maurice O’Connor, Seamus Lenihan, John Kelliher (captain), Seanie Gleeson, Joe Weir, Joe Kelliher, Denis Fitzgerald, Barry Sheehy, David Roche, Paul Doherty.
Subs: Kevin Sheehy for Roche (68 mins), Thomas Collins for B. Sheehy (77 mins), Jonathan Flynn for O’Connor (102 mins), Dan Roche, Maurice O’Connor, Eamonn Leahy.

Rearcross: Sean Sheehy, Kevin Mullins, Diarmuid Sheehy, Simon Kennedy, Damien Mullins, P.J. McLoughlin, Sean Mullins, Emmet Steed, Liam Nolan, Nigel Ryan, Liam Ryan.
Subs: Tommy Ryan, James Gough, Eamonn Davitt, Declan O’Toole.

Referee: Donie O’Gorman.
Assistant Referees: John O’Hara and Ger O’Connor.