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.