Rearcross advance in Munster Junior Cup after tough encounter

Rearcross were on their travels again for the Munster Junior Cup tie against Moneygall on what would turn out to be a bruising encounter. It was Moneygall who would start the better of the 2 teams with 3 in the middle of the field they were able to get their passing game going and were keeping the ball well, also Niall Maher up top was keeping the back four of Rea guessing. It was Niall who had the opening chance for Moneygall when a poor clearance saw him in behind the Rea defense but his brilliant lobbed effort crashed off the crossbar. Moneygall would continue to try force the opening goal of the game with a number of corners but the Rea defense stood tall. It was the away side who would break the deadlock against the run of play. Good work on the left wing saw the ball flashed across the box where Darragh Carr got in ahead of the defender to win the ball and he was upended for a penalty. Up stepped Greg Kennedy and he made no mistake sending the keeper the wrong way. Moneygall rallied and should have been level on the stroke of halftime but Niall Maher's header ended up going the wrong side of the post.
Moneygall would find themselves level 5 minutes after the restart when they were awarded a freekick on the edge of the area. Up stepped Paul Costello and his deflected effort wrongfooted Cathal Kennedy in the Rea goal to find the net. From here chances were few and far between with both sets of defences putting in a good shift. Rea had 2 good chances to win it. The 1st coming when James Rochford got to the by line and beat his man where he pulled the ball back to Cillian Kennedy put his strike went high over the bar. The next chance fell to James Deegan when his lobbed effort seemed to deceive the keeper but it hit the bar and bounced away to safety. Moneygall had the final chance of the game when a long free kick saw Rea failing to clear their lines but the goalbound strike was deflected out for a corner.
Extra time loomed as both sides had cancelled each other out. The 1st half saw both sides leggy but it was Rea who would produce a moment of magic to win the game. A throw in from Eoin Sheldon to Rob Harrington at the back would see a quick triangle of passes between Rob, Conor Nolan and Eoin to release Darragh Carr on the right wing. His cross found Cillian Kennedy on the edge of the area and just as he seemed destined to shoot he slipped James Deegan whose quick feet created a shooting opportunity which he would take to make it 2-1.
In the 2nd half of extra time Moneygall would throw everything at Rea but the defense stood firm. Cathal Kennedy making a vital intervention at the end of the game when it looked like Moneygall were in. A tough encounter which could have went either way on the day.

Moneygall ‘A’: Junior, D McCormack, M Ryan (Capt), C McLoughlin, D Hogan, G Larkin, C Fleming, D Maher, N Maher, P Costello, S Moroney
Subs: J Lee, C Quinlan, J O’Brien, D Murray, D Lee, C Longe

Rearcross ‘A’: Cathal Kennedy (Capt), Eoin Sheldon, Eoghan Kavanagh, Robert Harrington, Greg Kennedy, Darragh Carr, Patrick Dawson, Paul Nolan, James Rochford, James Deegan, Cillian Kennedy
Subs: Conor Nolan, Brian Nolan, Callum Wallace

Referee: TP Sullivan

Report by Robert Harrington

Greg Kennedy holds his nerve to give Rearcross the lead from the penalty spot

Paul Costello levels for Moneygall with a deflected free kick effort

Rearcross keeper Cathal Kennedy reacts superbly to turn the ball around the post

James Deegan bags an extra time winner for Rea with Cillian Kennedy providing the assist